California County Assessors' Information Technology Authority

The Authority was created in November 2022 as a joint powers authority organized under Government Code section 6500, et seq. for the purposes of implementing a new information technology program for California County Assessors to assist in the standardization of statewide assessment practices.The program receives state funding as set forth in Revenue and Taxation Code section 95.60.

 

Members of the Authority envision this JPA building on past collaborative successes of Assessors, such as SDR/eSDR, to deliver: easy-to-use, fast, dependable and secure public services; common technology solutions that are easy to use across counties; and a customer-focused portal for government services that makes it easier for members of the public to find information and complete transactions.  

 

Proposition 19 Portal

 

The passage of Proposition 19 in November 2020 created new requirements for filing documents, certifying values across counties, and reporting to the State.  California Assessors have expended hundreds of hours developing procedures to efficiently process application for base year value transfers.  As a result, the Assessors need a clearinghouse, or portal, that will provide easy access for taxpayers to obtain and file the required forms, to communicate with one another about information needed to process an application, and to develop reports for State Agencies such as the Board of Equalization and California Department of Tax and Fee Administration.  The LAO estimated increased costs for counties by tens of millions of dollars per year in their analysis of the Proposition.  This project attempts to streamline required activities and mitigate some of the costs.

 

Exemptions E-filing

 

Building on the success of the SDR/eSDR business property statement filing system, we would like to add the potential for on-line filing for exemptions.  There are dozens of available exemptions and most require annual filing.  Assessors expend valuable resources mailing out thousands of exemption forms annually. 

 

This project would provide for online filing and reduce lost paperwork and expenses.  Part of the project would include digital signatures.

 

Non-Residential Sales Database

 

State Law currently allows assessors to share market data.  Market data is critically needed when valuing complex, income-producing properties.  A significant portion of the time spent on those assignments is used to gather data, quite often from other counties.  

 

This project would create a statewide database of information needed to value complex, income-producing properties.  It continues to build on the partnerships developed by county assessors and will improve efficiency on some of the most difficult valuation assignments.

 

Summary

 

State one-time funding is well suited for technological initiatives.  The Authority envisions the bulk of the funding being used to create and improve systems that serve all or most of the 58 California Counties.