Strengthen Oversight Of Appraisals

Bills recently filed in the Florida House of Representatives and Senate that would require independent reviews of land owned by county property appraisers are not a "knee-jerk reaction" to a Pinellas County land scandal, as Pinellas Appraiser Jim Smith claims.

Smith's reaction, to the St. Petersburg Times, isn't surprising. A Pinellas grand jury thoroughly investigated his questionable sale of 1.5 acres to Pinellas County government for $225,000 - almost four times the assessed value his office had calculated. The deal eroded public confidence in county government and Smith's constitutional office.

Although no charges were filed against Smith or any other county official, grand jurors concluded the transaction and the process in which it was conducted didn't pass the smell test, and they were right. The panel had a legitimate reason to be troubled by the lack of oversight for deals in which a county property appraiser has a personal interest.

As a result, the grand jury is right to recommend that state lawmakers adopt legislation requiring independent reviews of appraisals of land owned by county property appraisers. Property appraisers have great power that not only affects the lives of private property owners but government coffers.

A bill filed by state Rep. Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater, would mandate that the reviews be conducted by the Florida Department of Revenue or allow the appraiser to seek them from a property appraiser in another county. A bill by Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, who also represents part of Pinellas, assigns state revenue officials the responsibility.

The Legislature should adopt Fasano's version when it convenes next spring because it would ensure that the evaluations would be more independent. Revenue officials have the expertise and resources to review appraisals in counties where they don't reside. Their evaluations would protect taxpayers against questionable deals by government officials who have cozy relationships with one another.

At the same time, lawmakers should give state officials the authority to adjust the valuations if they are out of whack with similar properties. Only then will the grand jury's intent be accomplished.