Summit County Council approves Board of Equalization stipulations, appoints hearing officer amid surge in appeals

The Summit County Council on Tuesday convened as the Board of Equalization, approved the 2023 stipulations in the packet and unanimously appointed Joe Olson as an additional hearing officer to help manage a surge in property appeals.

Staff told the council the group of 207 properties before the board included about $41.9–$42.0 million in market‑value reductions. County appraisal staff said those figures reflect changes in market value, not directly the taxable value, and offered to return with a conversion to taxable value for council review. Separately, auditors reported the county has received more than 3,000 appeals this year, roughly double last year’s ~1,600, and estimated the running total of market‑value changes attributable to appeals at over $240 million to date.

County staff said about 300 protests remain in the auditor’s office queue and that they expect roughly 10% will proceed to formal hearings; they plan to double hearing dates through November and December to accommodate the caseload and to aim to clear many items by Oct. 31. Staff also committed to providing a countywide running total of approved reductions and a taxable‑value estimate in a forthcoming report to the council.

On appointments, staff presented Joe Olson’s resume and said Olson was available on the call to answer questions. A council member moved to appoint Olson as a hearing officer for the Southern County board of equalization; the motion was seconded and carried unanimously. Staff confirmed the budget can cover the position.

After handling the Board of Equalization business, council members dismissed that body and reconvened as the county council to continue the agenda.

What’s next: Staff will provide the taxable‑value conversion and an updated running total of appeal impacts at a follow‑up meeting; hearing schedules will be expanded through the end of the year.