Members of the Gilmer County Board of Assessors elected officers for 2021 while approving a few policy changes during a brief meeting held Thursday, Jan. 21, in the county courthouse’s jury assembly room.
Assessors office policies pertaining to homestead exemptions were updated.
One policy was amended to acknowledge the filing of homestead exemption applications online with the wording: If an application is filed online, the submission date will be the date of application for deadline requirements.
Another update to the same policy says that only eligible applications received on or before April 1 of the current tax year will be submitted to the BOA for approval. That policy previously read “prior to” the April 1 deadline.
A recent revamp of the assessors office’s website (GilmerAssessors.com) allows the exemption paperwork to now be submitted online.
“The online homestead applications are going good. Since Jan. 4, we’ve had approximately 20 applications be applied for online,” said Chief Appraiser Theresa Gooch.
A policy was updated to read that homestead exemption applications and appeals submitted via qPublic (the BOA website) will be considered on time if the electronic submission date meets the applicable deadlines, while another update specifically reads that a Georgia driver’s license must be shown as part of the homestead application filing process.
Gooch outlined how property owners can apply for homestead exemptions, including the standard and over-65 versions, online.
“On the website, they will use the Real Property search option, then search by the owners name to locate their property that contains the home in which they reside in full-time. Once on their property card, there will be a blue button, Apply for Homestead Exemption. After clicking on this button, it will bring up the application and guide them through the requirements. The applicant will be required to load documents and e-sign. Once submitted, they will receive a confirmation,” she noted.
Gooch said the option of filing a property appeal online, also available on the redesigned website, will go live when assessment notices are mailed.
The online appeal option will only be available for a limited period, whereas homestead exemption applications can be filed online year-round.
“(Online appeals) will go active when we mail the notices in May. Once we mail notices, the appeal button will activate for the 45-day period. Once the notices expire, the button will go away,” Gooch said.
Board members also approved updates to two office dress code policies.
One policy now reads that all Gilmer County field appraisers and assistants will display a photo ID badge visible on their person, along with apparel with the Gilmer County logo, when performing field inspections.
Another policy concerning tattoos was also amended to reflect that “exposed tattoos shall be appropriate and nonoffensive, limited to not more than one-half of the exposed body part and not be offensive or disgusting by accepted standards of morality or decency. Tattoos above a T-shirt neckline or below a long-sleeved shirt cuff are restricted.”
This includes face and hand tattoos, Gooch noted.
“We received guidance from human resources who reached out to other counties (about the dress code policy),” she added.
The assessor board’s leadership positions were left unchanged with Gary Engel continuing as chairman and Bill Logan remaining vice chairman. At the meeting, Engel, Logan and John Williamson provided a quorum for the five-person board.
In other news ...
After being asked by Engel about whether employees will remain working in-person at the assessors office as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Gooch said at this time they will, referencing Jan. 1-April 1 as a busy time for the office.
“To help control the spread, we want to make sure everybody is sanitizing as much as possible and we are sanitizing the office as much as possible. We have put back in place that employees are to wear their masks while in the office with the exception of when they sit at their desks,” she added.