TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Nine Oklahoma counties failed an audit over the state’s protocol on property valuation but the state auditor said he’s hopeful that all will comply soon, resulting in an uptick in state revenue.
“Originally, only 28 (counties) passed and now we’re down to only nine not passing,” state Auditor and Inspector Gary Jones said. “And based on the information we have now, if things continue, we anticipate five of those will pass next year.”
The Tulsa World reported Monday (https://bit.ly/2hI1KuO ) that the counties that aren’t complying have not yet fully implemented a specific computer software system used in property appraisals. Haskell County is one of the counties that failed, but County Assessor Roger Ballard said the software system is now in place and the county should be in compliance next year.
“As soon as they do the audit, we’ll be back in compliance,” Ballard said.
The other counties that failed the audit were: Bryan, Choctaw, Johnston, Latimer, McCurtain, Murray, Okfuskee and Seminole counties, all in the southeast part of the state. Four counties - Tulsa, Oklahoma, Canadian and Lincoln - received a perfect score.
Jones, the state auditor, said he expects a “significant impact” on state revenues once all counties are compliance because property values will not be underestimated.
“I think it’s going to add tens of millions of dollars per year and over a period of time, hundreds of millions of dollars,” Jones said. “If they had stuck with requiring them to meet the requirements 20-something years ago, we would literally have hundreds of millions of dollars, over a billion dollars, probably more, going primarily to the schools.”
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Information from: Tulsa World, https://www.tulsaworld.com
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