Grin & Bear It: Wrong Day for Board of Review Members to be No Shows

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ For Perry County Supervisor of Assessments Robin Edwards and members of her Perry County Real Estate Tax Review Board, Monday was just one of those days.

The board of appeals consists of three members--Randolph County appraiser Carol Hamilton, Williamson County assessor Jeff Robinson and Perry County commissioner Robert "Bobby" Kelly.

The appeals board had met for the first time the week before and was scheduled to meet for the second time on Monday with eight taxpayers having made appointments to have their appeals heard.

Hamilton came to Monday's hearing. Robinson had marked Wednesday (today) down on his calendar instead of Monday and was a no show.

Kelly had obligations at his timber business, and because he thought both Hamilton and Robinson would show up as a quorum, he was a no show.

The one who did show up for his own real estate tax appellate hearing was Edwards' opponent in the November general election--John Batteau.

Assessor Edwards called Kelly on the phone and asked him to "come as you are-NOW" as Batteau basked in the miscue.

Kelly came to the hearing, but Batteau told the two reviewers that a board of tax review is--by design--a committee of three and not a "quorum" of two. Batteau called the lapse inexcusable, wouldn't meet with the two and said he would reschedule his appointment for a time when all three were together.

Edwards said she did her job in scheduling the hearing and making the eight appointments. She said it amounted to an unfortunate lack of communication.