By Jon Seidel, Post-Tribune
jseidel@post-trib.com
A state agency will take over for Calumet Township Assessor Booker Blumenberg after a study of his work continued to reveal errors Friday.
Those mistakes are the only thing standing between Lake County taxpayers and their tax bills, a spokeswoman for the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance said.
"This is about completion of the assessment work correctly and in a timely manner," DLGF's Mary Jane Michalak said, "and it's about getting county tax bills out in a timely manner."
But Blumenberg said it's really about his criticism of the state's assessment of U.S. Steel and other heavy industry. He said DLGF Commissioner Timothy Rushenberg wants to get even.
"Maybe Rushenberg wanted to get the PR," Blumenberg said. "Maybe he has political ambitions."
Either way, Michalak said the DLGF will now develop "trending factors" or adjustments to determine the assessed value of properties for Calumet Township tax bills in 2009 payable 2010.
DLGF will publish notice of those factors and hold a public hearing where evidence can be presented if there are disagreements. It will likely take place in early February. A time and place could be announced next week.
The announcement late Friday was made after Rushenberg sent a Dec. 31 letter to Blumenberg telling him that figures on property values submitted by Calumet Township didn't meet state standards.
Blumenberg said Rushenberg's staff is being deliberately misleading and deceiving "in order to push an agenda."
He said the state is actually stepping in to redo the ratio study, which Michalak acknowledged is the responsibility of the DLGF. However, Michalak said it's the ratio study that revealed the errors in Blumenberg's assessment work, which is what is being corrected.
A letter sent by Rushenberg to Blumenberg on Friday said too many "usable sales," or sales based on market value, were ignored by Calumet Township in setting assessed values for vacant land.
"We're talking about statistics and people don't, I guess, have a good understanding, so they can use it to confuse," Blumenberg said.
The International Association of Assessing Officers Standard on Ratio Studies says 20 percent of usable sales may be excluded in the ratio study, according to Rushenberg's letter. Calumet Township excluded 42 percent.
That, Michalak said, means Blumenberg's proposed assessments may not reflect market conditions for vacant land in Calumet Township.
"The department has no choice now but to perform an expedited annual adjustment for Calumet Township," Rushenberg wrote.