Resident urges county to reclaim lost tax revenue after city review board freezes assessments

Joe Farmer, a Greenville resident who gave his address as 207 Alpine Way, asked Greenville County Council to pursue a formal resolution directing the county tax assessor to make binding property assessments after he said the City of Greenville Historic Review Board approved assessment freezes that reduce county revenue.

"The historic review board of the city of Greenville has approved a $115,000,000 of property tax assessment freezes for pickleball courts, convenience store, Army Navy store, McBride's office supply, and Park Avenue office space," Farmer said during the public-comment portion of the meeting. He argued the freezes reduce millage revenue shared by the county, school district, library and Greenville Technical College and said the city board excludes appointees who do not live inside the city limits.

Farmer asked the council to "simply pass a resolution by this council that directs the county tax assessor's office" to perform assessments and to stop allowing an appointed city board to override county assessments.

A council member who spoke during the meeting said the county had investigated the issue and that the practice has stopped. "So they're no longer the assessment is being done by our tax assessor and our tax collector and that that practice has stopped," the council member said, referring to a prior disconnect between city and county assessment practices.

Discussion only took place during public comment; the council did not record a motion or vote on Farmer's requested resolution during the meeting. The council member's statement indicates the county assessor and tax collector were notified and the county practice has changed, according to the speaker.

Background provided by Farmer included the claimed $115,000,000 in assessment freezes and specific project types he listed; Farmer said the city does not bill or collect property taxes and questioned the fairness of the city's board making assessment decisions that affect county revenue. The council member noted the county does not control state or city administrative appointments but indicated county offices have reasserted assessment control in this instance.

If the council pursues Farmer's suggested resolution, any formal change would require an agenda item, staff analysis and a recorded motion and vote in a future meeting.