Educational Property Tax Symposium Brings National Experts to Boise

The Idaho Association of County Assessors (IACA), Idaho Association of Counties (IAC) and Associated Taxpayers of Idaho (ATI) came together to co-host and sponsor an educational event on property taxes to kick off the legislative session in downtown Boise. Several legislators, county and city officials and business and industry folks participated in the event both virtually and in-person.

The concept for this groundbreaking summit came from Ada County Assessor Bob McQuade who was instrumental in facilitating the conference. The IACA also played a key role in ensuring the event took place and was a notable success.

The symposium commenced with a new animated video that explains a year in the life of the Idaho property tax cycle. Property tax experts from across the country served on two separate panels sharing their expertise and recommendations for possible property tax relief as well as how different assessment methodologies work across the nation.

Panelists for Property Assessment Methodologies included Kathlynn Ireland, Tax Policy Specialist with the Idaho State Tax Commission; Wade Patterson, President of the International Association of Assessing Officers; and Corey Cook, Vice Provost Academic Programs and Planning at St. Mary’s College of California. The panel discussion was moderated by McQuade.

Panelists for Property Tax Relief: A National Perspective included Adam Langley, Associate Director at the Lincoln Institure of Land Policy; Joan Youngman, Senior Fellow at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy; Katherine Loughead, Senior Policy Analyst with the Tax Foundation; and Rusty Cannon, President of the Utah Association of Taxpayers. The panel was moderated by Terry Accordino, Property Tax Manager with Micron Technology.

The goals of the symposium were three-fold. First, to educate about how property taxes work in Idaho. Second, to provide context regarding the history of property taxes in Idaho as well as offering different expert perspectives on property assessments methodologies used throughout the U.S. Third, to provide different property tax relief ideas from various national perspectives.

“The symposium afforded the opportunity for stakeholders and policy makers to expand their understanding of property taxes on both local and national levels,” said IAC Executive Director Seth Grigg. “This is important because it will help elected officials and state legislators make informed policy decisions regarding property tax relief in Idaho.”

If you would like to view the property tax video and the two panel discussions, you can do so by following the links below. You are also welcome to embed the property tax video on your county websites as well as share these links on your social media channels and with your constituents.

Property Taxes 101: Click Here

Panel – Property Assessment Methodologies: Click Here

Panel – Property Tax Relief: A National Perspective: Click Here

Photos from the event on our flicker page: Click Here