By HOLLY GASKILL
A training session for the Property Tax Board of Appeals will be open to the public on April 3.
The session will be led by Sarah Schreiber from Haller-Colvin Attorneys in Fort Wayne, who represents the Allen County PTABOA and has advised the state on numerous property tax issues. The session will take place from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Wells County Annex.
Wells County Assessor Laura Roberts advocated for the addition of the training session with Shreiber in light of the inexperience of the PTABOA and recent struggles. Roberts said she has previously attended events where Shreiber spoke, which is why she was chosen for this occasion.
Roberts said the two-hour session will broadly cover PTABOA procedures and ethics.
“I’m really hoping the board will grow to understand their obligation to the assessor’s office and taxpayers,” Roberts said.
With this in mind, Roberts stated she wanted the open training session to be an opportunity for the public to learn more and ask questions about PTABOA from an outside source. Roberts believes Schreiber brings a unique and unbiased perspective as a PTABOA attorney who is unconnected to the area.
The PTABOA is made up of three members who advise the assessor’s office regarding the value of a property for taxation. As such, the members undergo training to understand Indiana Code as assessor-appraisers.
Following investigations into alleged misconduct last year, two of three members of Wells County’s PTABOA are new to the role.
The two commissioner-appointed members, Nathan Schrock and Blake Fiechter, currently have no certifications as assessor-appraisers, Roberts said. For PTABOAs with three members, the state considers it best practice for the commissioners to appoint at least a Level II or III assessor-appraiser.
Judy Affolder, appointed by County Council, has previous experience as an assessor in Adams County and is certified as a Level 3 assessor-appraiser. Roberts is also in her first year as the elected assessor, although she worked as a deputy in the Wells County office for 10 years.
holly@news-banner.com
