Assessor Given ‘B,’ Suggestions Accountant’s Study, Done Gratis, Primarily Criticizes Management

Sun., June 11, 1995

Kristina Johnson Staff Writer

A Spokane accountant’s private assessment of the county assessor’s office turned up what he calls “major problems” that are costing taxpayers money.

Anson Avery spent nearly 60 hours during the past two weeks reviewing records, talking to employees and studying how the office works.

“A lot of it is just bad management,” said Avery, 56, a well-respected accountant for the past 30 years. “The good side is there’s no favoritism, no phony stuff and nothing illegal.”

A draft copy of Avery’s independent, no-cost study of Assessor Charlene Cooney’s office gives her a “B” grade overall. He found the most serious problems in the way the office is organized and the way Cooney communicates to her staff and the public.

“We did observe internal strife and some bad examples of teamwork” among the office staff, Avery’s report said.

Cooney recently has come under fire for inaccurate appraisals that forced her to slash more than $146 million from the county’s assessed valuation.

Nearly 300 appeals remain outstanding. By the time all the changes have been made, nearly $202 million could be dropped from the county’s total valuations.

Changes in the values could cost Spokane County schools and cities more than $2.2 million in expected revenues.

Avery recently formed CAT - the Certified Accountants Team - with two other members of his accounting firm to study issues “related to taxes and money.”

The assessor’s office was the team’s first target.

Avery on Friday released a draft copy of his study that recommends several changes in the way the office does business. CAT’s two other team members will review the report before a final copy is issued June 14.

The report offers suggestions not only to Cooney but also to county commissioners and the state Department of Revenue.

Cooney said Friday she felt “positive” about the report and “had no quarrel with its criticisms.” She said she planned to consider the suggestions as a basis for changes in the office.

“There are always ways you can do things better,” Cooney said.

She also said that she was reluctant at first to open her office to Avery, but decided the “people have a right to know. We have nothing to hide because we’ve done nothing wrong.”

Avery’s report acknowledges that Cooney inherited many internal problems. He also blames much of the recent confusion on the county’s adopted revaluation process that requires physical appraisals of property only every six years.

“Too much happens with real property in six years,” Avery said in the report, adding that those changes translate into lost dollars for taxpayers.

Will Rice of the state Depart ment of Revenue said he hadn’t seen Avery’s report but welcomed the suggestions. As for a faster timeline, he said, “This is a situation that has taken years to develop. Sometimes solutions aren’t that obvious.”

Rice’s planned review of the office should begin in July and take about eight or nine months, he said. “If there are things that are obviously urgent, nothing will preclude us from pointing them out in two months rather than nine.”

Commissioner Steve Hasson, who has known Avery for several years, also said he hadn’t looked at the report but hoped to sit down next week with Avery and Cooney to discuss it.

His favorite aspect of the report, Hasson said, was that it didn’t cost a thing.

Why would Avery take the time?

He said he decided to study the assessor’s office because he’s owned a successful accounting firm in Spokane for the last 15 years.

“I want to give back to the community what they’ve given us,” he said, adding that he’s made his living being a taxpayer advocate and he now has a chance to be the “white knight.”

He isn’t bashful when he talks about the study’s results. “I think I’ve nailed it.”

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Avery’s report suggests: The assessor work with the state Revenue Department and county commissioners to adopt a new policy that increases the rate of physical revaluation to at least once every four years. Cooney improve communications with staff and the public. “We have already discussed this with you and your staff many times,” the report said. “You may be sick of hearing this from us. Tough bananas.” In fact, Cooney already has promised to update taxing districts at least once a month on the status of appeals. Cooney find ways to be more efficient with resources, including changes to the office’s physical layout and upgrading slow computers. In this area, Avery’s biggest complaint was that “professional staff and managers spent much time doing clerical work and answering phone calls.” Instead of hiring another appraiser, Cooney should hire two good secretaries, the report said. Commissioners hire a property tax adviser who would represent taxpayers and be independent of the assessor’s office. “It is unrealistic to ask the assessor to advise taxpayers on how to complain about the assessor’s work,” the report said, adding that the position would “greatly reduce the assessor’s workload and increase efficiency.” Commissioners guide spending in the assessor’s office, perhaps tying money to specific purposes such as redesigning the office or upgrading computers. The state Department of Revenue use Avery’s report as a basis for its own study. Avery also chides that department for planning to take nine months to do its study. “The taxpayers of Spokane County need this report now, not in 1996.”

This sidebar appeared with the story: Avery’s report suggests: The assessor work with the state Revenue Department and county commissioners to adopt a new policy that increases the rate of physical revaluation to at least once every four years. Cooney improve communications with staff and the public. “We have already discussed this with you and your staff many times,” the report said. “You may be sick of hearing this from us. Tough bananas.” In fact, Cooney already has promised to update taxing districts at least once a month on the status of appeals. Cooney find ways to be more efficient with resources, including changes to the office’s physical layout and upgrading slow computers. In this area, Avery’s biggest complaint was that “professional staff and managers spent much time doing clerical work and answering phone calls.” Instead of hiring another appraiser, Cooney should hire two good secretaries, the report said. Commissioners hire a property tax adviser who would represent taxpayers and be independent of the assessor’s office. “It is unrealistic to ask the assessor to advise taxpayers on how to complain about the assessor’s work,” the report said, adding that the position would “greatly reduce the assessor’s workload and increase efficiency.” Commissioners guide spending in the assessor’s office, perhaps tying money to specific purposes such as redesigning the office or upgrading computers. The state Department of Revenue use Avery’s report as a basis for its own study. Avery also chides that department for planning to take nine months to do its study. “The taxpayers of Spokane County need this report now, not in 1996.”