Auditor says average processing time is 137 days; county received extension through March 31

Chris Harding highlighted processing-time pressures during his annual report, saying the office's average processing time for appeals rose to 137 days and that the statutory target is 60 days. "Our average processing time was at 137 days. The statutory target is 60 days," Harding said.

Harding said the county asked the Utah State Tax Commission for an extension and that the extension was approved through March 31 to allow staff to complete work accurately in light of an unusually high appeals volume. He suggested that meeting the 60-day target under current processes would require statutory or procedural changes and recommended consulting tax-administration experts before pursuing legislative remedies.

A board member asked whether legislative remediation should be pursued; Harding recommended first convening stakeholders—tax administration, assessors and others—to develop a well-informed proposal rather than rushing legislation. The discussion ended with the board accepting the extension and noting quality of work remained a priority over speed.