As far back as 2011 the Fulton County Commission – representing Georgia’s most populous county— began allocating large sums of taxpayer money to fix the error-ridden tax assessor’s office. Five years later, and with appeals growing every year, the situation never really improved. Thus, the other day, Chief Appraiser David Fitzgibbon was unceremoniously fired after discovery of a computer program mistake which triggered a two-month delay in getting out property billings.
Commissioners held Fitzgibbon responsible for it— with all of them saying they seek more accountability, collaboration and communication from the tax assessors’ office in the future.
“While it appears that the tax assessor’s office has finally provided tax digests to all jurisdictions, this year’s two-month delay is totally unacceptable,” Commissioner Bob Ellis said. “It has created unnecessary complications and distractions for many local governments. The delay, as well as other issues that have emerged, highlight the need for greater accountability.”
“While state law dictates that … Fitzgibbon reports to and has direct accountability to a board of assessors — not to the board of commissioners — the tax assessor’s office must demonstrate greater accountability to the board of commissioners and the taxpayers. It must be timely and transparent in utilizing the funds that are provided to it by the county, determine the financial impact of litigated appeals, be operationally ready to meet necessary deadlines, and ensure that it is in compliance with state regulations,” Ellis added.
