Blog: Some Ramblings and Updates from your Assessor
This blog was written by Irv Johnson, Cabell County Assessor, for the Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce
First, thank you to our Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce for this opportunity and their support of our business community all year long. Thanks to each of you who take the time to understand and be engaged with our local and state government.
WHERE ARE WE?
The Assessor’s office has had a very busy couple of years — navigating Covid, planning for new legislation, building a county-wide historical base of aerial imagery, and launching new software which replaced a 20-year-old system with which the staff was quite comfortable.
We are committed to helping businesses as much as we can within the constraints of state rules and regulations. We set the bar very high for our web-based offerings and efficient customer service.
As we all know, things are going well fiscally for the state, and the legislature has reduced the tax burden for individuals on state income tax. Additionally, they are offering a rebate on personal property for both individuals and small businesses (appraised at less than one million in personal property assets). This is exciting and is the largest tax cut in our state’s history!
We continue to watch these new developments and adjust our workflow accordingly.
WHERE ARE WE GOING?
For months, we have been working with Google Earth to implement their “Google Street View” directly into our mapping parcel data set. We hope to push this project across the finish line in 2024.
One of our goals was, and continues to be, online filing for both individuals and business filers. Keep in mind that the state tax department bids, updates, and maintains the software which we are required to use. This software has never had a module for online filing. Several years ago, Cabell County was able to offer online filing for individual returns through a third-party vendor which has served the public well; unfortunately, it was not exactly what we wanted, as it was not tied to our state software.
Online filing for the business “blue form,” as it has been nicknamed statewide, was an entirely more complex matter. Think of the diversity of returns: mom and pop with one or two business assets, out of state chain store with 5 locations in Cabell with inventory, custom assets such as technology, delivery vehicles, etc., or a large leasing company with hundreds of assets deployed in several of the different tax districts of Cabell. So unfortunately, we have not been able, (as one county), to develop online filing for business accounts. However, the state is moving in that direction. The State Tax Department bid and purchased an entirely new software package for all 55 Assessor offices which does include business online filing. We are hoping to have beta testing of some accounts for Tax Year 24 and go from there.
We continue to work with and listen to local CPAs and, although it is not perfect, we are currently able to take submission via excel spreadsheets. This has been a win for many businesses as well as our office.
We continue to work with and listen to local CPAs and, although it is not perfect, we are currently able to take submission via excel spreadsheets. This has been a win for many businesses as well as our office.
I assure you we are moving forward. But, unlike the small photo corporation I came from, dealing with the government is a much slower animal. My family had some really good ideas at Sunday dinners that my Dad would write on a napkin with a blue sharpie marker. Government just cannot function that way, which is why I say, “Government can never be as good as small business.”
So, thanks to each of you and your companies for what you contribute to our local economy and may you always have some good ideas written on a napkin!!