2012-109 Council Resolution - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Search

St. Louis County properties not added to tax rolls cost others money - TwinCities.com Page 2 of 6 An attempt by a former county official to have the problems investigated eight years ago went largely ignored by the St. Louis County Board and the State Department of Revenue, allowing the assessment errors to continue. The overwhelming majority of incorrectly assessed properties in the county were done by assessors hired by small municipalities as independent contractors. The local assessors aren't required to have the training of a county assessor. Each year, the county is required by law to audit each independent assessor's work. But if the county finds mistakes, the assessors don't have to fix them. The county's only recourse is to have its staff do the work and bill the city or township. Only the State Department of Revenue can discipline assessors, but only twice since 2005 has the department taken that action - and both times were when assessors failed to pay child support. The county also can't tell towns and townships whom they should hire to assess properties, so the townships often go with the lowest bidder, even if county audits show that assessor has incorrectly assessed other properties for years. Such is the case with the assessor the county's records show is responsible for inadequately assessing more properties than any other assessor since 2003 - Rick Vidmar. At one point, Vidmar was responsible for appraising more parcels than any other St. Louis County appraiser or local assessor. Reached for comment, Vidmar, who is now retired, said the records provided to the News Tribune from the county are inaccurate. He said the assessments were done but the county didn't allow him to enter the records into its electronic database. "I was locked out of the computer," he said. He also threatened to sue the News Tribune. "If you want to dig this up, you better have one hell of an attorney," he said. VIDMAR INVESTIGATED Many of Vidmar's assessment issues were first reported by former county assessor Mary Durward, who in 2004 compiled a 100 - plus -page report recounting dozens of properties that she said Vidmar under- assessed, didn't put on the rolls or said he examined but didn't. Vidmar began working as a St. Louis County employee in 1990 and retired from his position as a real estate appraiser in 2003. Around 2003, the County Board raised the fees the county charged cities and townships for assessment services, said Mel Hintz, who was county assessor from 2004 to 2008. When he retired, Vidmar started his own assessment business, Vidmar Appraisals, and offered his services to cities and townships throughout St. Louis County. http:// www .twincities.com/localnews /ci_ 20264312 /st- louis- county- properties- not - added -t... 11/19/2012