Consider buying an advertisement for your business or sending a donation to Pike County Times to support the only free online newspaper in Pike County. Donations can be sent to: The Pike County Times, PO Box 843, Zebulon, Georgia 30295. You can also donate through www.venmo.com/u/pikecountytimes, $pikecountytimes, and PayPal.Me/PikeCountyTimesLLC.

Thanks for supporting Pike County's only free online newspaper!

ZEBULON - In attendance: Chief Assessor Greg Hobbs, Board Members Tim Ingram, Lyn Smith, Gary Hammock, Kristen Cudnohufsky, Appraiser Emily Morris to take the minutes, County Manager Brandon Rogers, and County Attorney Rob Morton. Also in attendance: Kay and Kenneth Green, David Nix, Susan Boggs, and Becky Watts from Pike County Times.

I. Call to Order

II. Approval of Agenda

Approval of the agenda. Approved 4-0.

III. Invocation - Chief Appraiser Hobbs

IV. Pledge of Allegiance

V. Approval of Minutes

• Approval of January 4, 2023, Regular scheduled Minutes Summary- Staff recommends approval.

Approval of the minutes. Approved 4-0.

Public Comment. None.

VI. Public Comment (w/5 minute time limit per person)

VII. Invited Guests

1. property owner Kenneth Green and David Nix

Kenneth Green and David Nix.

Green. One of brothers had passed away last year, and they had to make changes for two properties. The issue was the house. Been in conservation since 1993. Required to reenroll in 2023, and somehow it got left off. He believed that their intent was for the home and the 95 acres was supposed to be included in their CUVA. Hobbs asked them to come in and let them speak before the board. Motion to go back to 2023 and start back there. Discussion: Kristen asked about paperwork. They never found the paperwork at their home and couldn’t find it in the office. There is no reason for them not to include the home when they were including the land in CUVA. 3-0-1 Cudnohufsky abstained for lack of knowledge.

David Nix. When his father passed away in 2016, they settled their affairs and Nix continued the CUVA in 2021. This is a 2012 CUVA. It ran out in 2021. This was an oversight on the office. Motion to go back to 2022 and start with the new. 3-0-1 Cudnohufsky abstained for lack of knowledge.

VIII. Chief Appraiser Report

175 active appeals.
124 mailed 30 day notice.
Resoved 852 appeals.
5 appeals withdrawn.
Hope to have this finished in the next couple of weeks.

2024 Sales Ratio Study. Residential, commercial, industrial, and land. It’s a requirement to let you know where we are as we attempt to keep these accurate. This will be an agenda item at the next meeting.

Walking the county to get assessments where they need to be. (More after the next paragraph.) 1 company declined to bid. 1 more give bid. 1 gave a proposal for the entire county.

Thanks to Tim and Kristen for helping with interviews yesterday.

Kristen asked if the Tax Assessors office was able to do this. Hobbs said that the office can do this as they have more people in the office. Hobbs said that the values are still not where they should be. Appeals take up a lot of their time so they are not able to get out there and walk these properties individually. We have to be above 36 and less than 40. They would send 4-6 appraisers to the county so they can get out there and walk the county. There is an expensive on this. The ratio to be about 38 is our goal so the utilities are paying their share on this.

What is the status on last year’s ratio? Hobbs, We have not received anything from the Department of Revenue yet. Cudnohufsky asked about Hobbs calling the Department of Revenue to get an update on the status of last year. Motion to have Hobbs call the Department of Revenue and a second. Discussion: Morton said that if you ask him to move forward with them that may not be in the county’s best interest. Consensus not to do this. Motion to postpone this. Approved 4-0.

IX. Old Business

1. Approval/Denial of 2023 Appeal(s) with Fair Market Value Revision(s)0059-060A Smith Lyn and Linda C-approval(s)-Staff recommends approval(s).

We made some adjustments on this, and we need to notify him on this so he can continue this or not. It can go up or down 3% each year. He is locked into the 3% on the accessories with conservation. The Department of Revenue declares the values. Motion to approve. Approved 3-0-1 with Smith abstained.

X. New Business

Real Property a. Approval/Denial of 2023 Appeal(s) with Fair Market Value Revision(s) 42 approval(s)-Staff recommends approval(s) Motion to approve. Approved 4-0. b. Approval/Denial of 2023 Waiver(s) 4 with Fair Market Value Revision(s)-Staff recommends approval(s). Motion to approve. Approved 4-0. c. Approval/Denial of 2024 homesteads 1 L8 (over 70 non-income based), 3 S5 ( disabled veteran under 65) 2 SD (disabled veteran over 65), and 89 S1 (regular homestead)- Staff recommends approval. Motion to approve. Approved 4-0. 3. Executive Session

a. Board of Tax Assessors requests adjournment to Executive Session for: Discussion or deliberation on the appointment, employment, compensation, hiring, disciplinary action or dismissal, or periodic evaluation or rating of a public officer or employee, as provided in O.C.G.A. § 50-14- 3(b)(2), germane to Personnel.

Executive Session – 11:27 a.m.

Back in Session. 11:47 a.m.

Morton suggested a motion that based on discussion in Executive Session to offer to Brian Gerrard as appraiser at the amount discussed. Approved 4-0.

Board Member Report. None.

Attorney Report. Morton has conflicts with the 11 a.m. timeframe for the next two meetings. He will be late for the next meeting on the 6th for sure. Cudnofhusky. No longer to be available at 11 a.m. either. The earliest that she can be available will be 4 p.m. Smith – Earliest available is 4:30 p.m. Morton said that he would be fine at 4:30 p.m. May have to get somebody else to do secretarial duties. Current both have kids playing baseball after school. Could someone from the county office help fill in on these meetings? Possibly.

Can someone sitting on the Board take the minutes? Morton said that this is recording the meeting. It could be handled internally. Consensus to go with 4:30 p.m. for the meeting.

Emily Morris said that she wanted to step down as Board Secretary. Morton said that worst case scenario is that he bring his staff to take the minutes.

Motion to start meetings moving forward on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 4:30 p.m. [Note from the Editor on 2.23.24: The meetings are at 11:30 a.m. since Kristen resigned. It was difficult for Lyn to get there at 4:30 p.m. with his job.]

Motion to adjourn. 11:57 a.m.

Click here to read: "BREAKING NEWS: Commission Votes to Appeal Fine and Request a State Review of the Board of Assessors" www.pikecountytimes.com/secondary/BREAKINGNEWSrequestforreview2.2.24.html

Here are links to past meetings that Pike County Times has attended.

BOARD OF ASSESSORS REGULAR MEETING - February 20, 2024 - 11:00 AM
http://www.pikecountytimes.com/secondary/taxassessor2.20.24.html

BOARD OF ASSESSORS REGULAR MEETING - February 6, 2024 - 4:30 p.m.
http://www.pikecountytimes.com/secondary/taxassessor2.6.24.html

BOARD OF ASSESSORS REGULAR MEETING - January 4, 2024 - 11:00 AM
http://www.pikecountytimes.com/secondary/taxassessor1.4.24.html

BOARD OF ASSESSORS REGULAR MEETING - December 19, 2023 - 11:00 AM
http://www.pikecountytimes.com/secondary/taxassessor12.19.23.html

BOARD OF ASSESSORS REGULAR MEETING - December 5, 2023 - 11:30 AM
http://www.pikecountytimes.com/secondary/taxassessor12.5.23.html

BOARD OF ASSESSORS REGULAR MEETING - November 9, 2023 - 11:30 AM
http://www.pikecountytimes.com/secondary/taxassessor11.9.23.html

BOARD OF ASSESSORS REGULAR MEETING - October 17, 2023 - 11:00 AM
http://www.pikecountytimes.com/secondary/taxassessor10.17.23.html

BOARD OF ASSESSORS REGULAR MEETING - October 3, 2023 - 11:00 AM
http://www.pikecountytimes.com/secondary/taxassessor10.3.23.html

BOARD OF ASSESSORS REGULAR MEETING - September 19, 2023 - 11:00 AM
http://www.pikecountytimes.com/secondary/taxassessor9.19.23.html

BOARD OF ASSESSORS REGULAR MEETING - September 7, 2023 - 11:00 AM
http://www.pikecountytimes.com/secondary/taxassessor9.7.23.html