Carroll County conference board adopts assessor budget after questions on appraisals and a vehicle line

The Carroll County conference board adopted an amendment to the assessor’s budget and later approved the full 2026–2027 assessor budget after a public hearing and discussion of several line items.

At the public hearing, board members and attendees pressed staff for clarification on figures that appeared in the published notice versus the packet spreadsheet and asked for details on a $40,000 data‑processing line covering software and programming (including the county’s Caymen and Tyler systems). A board member also raised concerns about a $55,000 line for a new vehicle for the assessor’s office, saying the figure appeared high compared with likely trade‑in values and used‑vehicle options.

Staff told the board the published notice shows the taxable asking figure after utilities are removed and explained that the larger spreadsheet total includes non‑taxable components. On legal and appraisal costs, staff said the county attorney has requested specialized commercial appraisals for pending PAB (property assessment board) cases; those appraisals can range from about $7,500 to $15,000 depending on complexity.

A motion to adopt a budget amendment for the assessor’s office was moved and seconded and carried on a roll‑call vote, with named district supervisors recorded as voting in favor. Later, after discussion and a proposed amendment to lower salary lines, the board moved, seconded and adopted the 2026–2027 assessor budget as presented in a roll‑call vote. City representatives and the named district supervisors recorded affirmative votes.

The board noted that appropriations included in the budget need not be spent and that budget amendments remain possible if unexpected legal or appraisal costs arise during the fiscal year. The board also discussed sourcing vehicles under state purchasing prices when possible and the uncertainty of trade‑in values when estimating replacement costs.

The conference board did not specify exact vendor selections or final vehicle model in the meeting; the $55,000 vehicle line and the precise number and cost of anticipated commercial appraisals were described as estimates or subject to further procurement steps. The board closed the hearing and moved on to other agenda items.