Brian Sander, The Republic
bsanders@therepublic.com
VERNON - Jennings County, along with three other counties, are facing a property tax reassessment.
State officials suspect that commercial and industrial properties were undervalued in Crawford, Fulton, Jennings and Spencer counties.
Jennings County Assessor Linda Kovacich said Thursday's notification came as a surprise.
"I am a little surprised. ... I thought we were in real good shape," said Kovacich.
Explaining that Jennings County saw some of the state's lowest property value increases, Kovacich said she thought the county's assessments would pass state inspection.
"We followed all the rules," she said.
As other Indiana assessors do, Kovacich followed the International Association of Assessing Officials guidelines, to ensure accurate assessments. "I really don't understand," said Kovacich.
She hopes meetings, which have yet to be scheduled, with state officials will clear up the situation.
"We are very, very concerned as to what is going to transpire from all of this," said county Treasurer Ruth Ann Horstman.
She is hopeful that only commercial and industrial properties will require reassessment.
If just commercial property is reassessed, the process likely would not take long.
Jennings County already has collected spring property taxes, which were due June 5.
Horstman is hopeful that the potential reassessment will not delay the county's Nov. 13 property tax collection.
However, nothing will be decided until public hearings are held on the matter.
The hearings likely will be at Vernon's government center, but none have been scheduled, according to Horstman.
She feels some sort of reassessment is "inevitable".
Any sort of reassessment will cost the county time and money.
Brown, Putnam and Starke counties' status and need for reassessment has not been determined.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.