63-314. COUNTY VALUATION PROGRAM TO BE CARRIED ON BY ASSESSOR. (1) It shall be the duty of the county assessor of each county in the state to conduct and carry out a continuing program of valuation of all taxable properties under his jurisdiction pursuant to such rules as the state tax commission may prescribe, to the end that all parcels of property under the assessor’s jurisdiction are assessed at current market value. In order to promote uniform assessment of property in the state of Idaho, taxable property shall be appraised or indexed annually to reflect current market value. In order to achieve this goal, all taxable property in a county shall be appraised at least once every five (5) years, except as provided in subsection (6). Beginning in 2003, or year one (1) of any five (5) year cycle not less than fifteen percent (15%) of the taxable properties in the county shall be appraised during that year; by the end of year two (2) not less than thirty-five percent (35%) of the taxable properties in the county shall have been appraised during that year and the previous year; by the end of year three (3) not less than fifty-five percent (55%) of the taxable properties in the county shall have been appraised during that year and the previous two (2) years; by the end of year four (4) not less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the taxable properties in the county shall have been appraised during that year and the previous three (3) years; and by the end of year five (5) all one hundred percent (100%) of the taxable properties within the county shall have been appraised during that year and the previous four (4) years. Annually, all taxable property, not appraised that year, shall be indexed to reflect current market value for assessment purposes using market value property transactions and results of the annual appraisal of taxable property. The county assessor shall maintain in the respective offices sufficient records to show when each parcel or item of property was last appraised. The appraisal required by this section shall include a plan outlining the continuing valuation program. Said plan shall be submitted to the state tax commission for approval on or before the first Monday in February, 1997, and no less frequently than every fifth year thereafter. The state tax commission shall not approve any plan that fails to provide for adequate appraisal and valuation of all taxable properties in any county.

(2) The state tax commission is hereby authorized, empowered and directed to promulgate rules for the implementation of this program, and to provide any such county assessor with such supervision and technical assistance as may be necessary.

(3) The county commissioners of each county shall furnish the assessor with such additional funds and personnel as may be required to carry out the program hereby provided, and for this purpose may levy annually a property tax of not to exceed four-hundredths percent (.04%) of the market value for assessment purposes on all taxable property in the county to be collected and paid into the county treasury and appropriated to the property valuation fund which is hereby created.

(4) If compliance with the requirements of subsection (1) is not obtained, or if any county fails to meet the goals set in subsection (1), the state tax commission may proceed as required by section 63-316, Idaho Code. If a county fails to meet the timelines in subsection (1), the state tax commission shall require a remediation plan.

(5) As used in this section the term "adequate appraisal and valuation of all taxable properties in any county" means a process which includes a field inspection of not less than the number of taxable properties necessary to meet the requirements of subsection (1). Appraisal also includes collection, verification and analysis of market value sales, applicable income and expense data and building cost information, and application of this information to predict market value.

(6) The board of county commissioners may request that the Idaho state tax commission grant an extension of the five (5) year reappraisal deadline set forth in subsection (1). The request shall be in writing and shall set forth the reason(s) that the county is unable to complete the reappraisal process as required by subsection (1) and shall set forth the measures the county will undertake in order to complete the reappraisal program within the extension of time requested. In no case shall an extension exceed two (2) years. The state tax commission may approve or deny any request for an extension and shall notify the board of county commissioners of its decision in writing. The state tax commission shall not approve any extension absent a showing by the county of extraordinary circumstances. Extraordinary circumstances may include, but are not limited to, natural disasters or unforeseen circumstances that result in extreme financial hardship to the county. Circumstances that will not qualify for an extension may include, but are not limited to, failure to adequately fund the county valuation program as provided by this section, malfeasance, or mismanagement by a current elected official. The state tax commission shall not grant the extension provided in this section if studies conducted by the commission indicate that any category of property affected by such extension is not assessed at market value.

(7) The Idaho state tax commission shall report back to the Idaho house of representatives revenue and taxation committee and the senate local government and taxation committee whenever an extension authorized under subsection (6) is granted.

History:

[63-314, added 1996, ch. 98, sec. 4, p. 333; am. 1997, ch. 117, sec. 14, p. 314; am. 2000, ch. 196, sec. 1, p. 487; am. 2003, ch. 34, sec. 1, p. 152.]