Board debates shifting assessor publication to county website; tables current resolution for rework

Effingham County board members spent extended time on April 1 discussing a resolution about publishing property-assessment lists online rather than in newspapers.

An unidentified board member summarized the proposal as a transparency measure and said the practice could save the county an estimated $3,000 to $5,000 annually. That member also noted many taxpayers already receive mailed notices and can access parcel data online through the county’s property search tool.

Speakers debated whether the county should endorse the exact language of the House bill described at the meeting (which, participants said, had stalled in committee) or craft a broader county resolution urging digital notice options. A range of approaches were discussed: submitting a formal resolution to trade groups for advocacy, issuing a chair-signed letter to partner organizations, or waiting until a concrete bill is active before adopting text tied to legislation.

After discussion, a motion to table the current resolution as presented was made (mover: Tim), seconded (Jeremy) and approved by the committee; the chair asked a member to draft revised language that could be shared with organizations such as the county trade associations. Committee members also requested backup materials and asked staff to add or link parcel-level GIS information to the county’s online notice pages to improve public access.

The committee did not adopt the original resolution; members favored returning with revised wording and additional technical links before sending anything to trade organizations or to the full board for action.