2022 Property Tax issues leads to proposal to hire data analyst

Kimball Junction, the location of Park City's former KMart store. Photo: TownLift // Michele Roepke

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — In their work session on Wednesday, the Summit County Council will continue discussing the 2022 property tax increase by considering approval for hiring additional staff proposed by County Assessor Stephanie Poll. Poll and Summit County Human Resource Director David Warnock will present a proposal for the immediate hire of a Data Analyst and move the currently part-time Assessing Tech to full-time.

The Summit County Assessor office has been working through the Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal (CAMA) system to correct the limitations identified by Poll at the start of her term. However, issues, including an inability to mass factor a portion of commercial properties and condos, continue.

To combat this, the addition of a data analyst is proposed to help “tighten” the numbers of the shotgun approach under CAMA. There is also a request for $4,700 to purchase the necessary equipment. Even with the proposed hiring, it is estimated that it will take 2 to 3 years to build a solid model. This estimate is based on larger counties that have data analysts and modeling in place.

In addition to a data analyst hire, changing the currently part-time Assessing Tech to full-time is also being discussed. Poll cites the need to correct current data and data collection in the CAMA system for commercial and condo properties in order to make the changes by 2024.

With 1,325 parcels slated for review in 2023, overtime for the Commercial Appraiser is also being proposed. This is estimated to about around ten additional hours a week.

Property tax increases, discrepancies elicit frustration in County Council meeting