2022 Summer Newsletter

Florida Chapter of IAAO

Summer 2022

Staying Appraised

HOT …….. HOT …….. HOT

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

President’s Message………………2

In Memoriam………………………..4

Member Spotlight…..…….……......6

Conference Recap………………...9

County Spotlight…..……………....15

Education Calendar ...……...…..16

Employment Opportunities . …..17

Retirement Announcements..…..19

When it’s hot outside, your body helps cool you down and main- tain a healthy temperature by releasing water onto your skin (otherwise known as sweating). When the sweat evaporates from your skin, it takes a little bit of body heat with it. Your body needs a certain amount of water for your organs to work properly. If you don’t replace the water that you are releas- ing as sweat, your body will not function well. When your body does not have enough water (known as dehydration), it is like forcing a car to work without enough coolant; it may break. Click here to read more!! Enjoy your Summer and your activities JUST remember to drink that water !!!!!!

Prof. Designation News…...…......20

TPP Seminar………………………...23

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Summer 2022 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

2022 - 2023 FCIAAO EXECUTIVE BOARD

PRESIDENT Dee Dee Harnish, AAS, CFE, RES Director, Valuation Services Monroe County VICE PRESIDENT Christopher Mitts, PPS, CFE Appraisal and Automation Specialist St. Lucie County

It is the most wonderful time of the year in the Property Appraiser’s Office! Roll Submission! I hope everyone is finishing up and made it through this challenging cycle of valuation. I know, for our office, this has been one of the most interesting years of assessment. I want to again thank everyone who attended the FCIAAO Annual Conference in Fort Lauderdale this past April. We could not do this without our members

2 ND VICE PRESIDENT Kevin Hayes, MAI, CAE, RES, CFE Deputy of Appraisals Pinellas County

Dee Dee Harnish RES, AAS, CFE

support and we value each one of you. We are so fortunate to have such hard-working committees and Board members that really try to bring you the most beneficial information and topics. Without them, the conference would not be so enriching. Plus, the networking opportunities are priceless! One item we were very excited to bring to the conference was a conference app which included all the conference sessions, speaker bios and the conference survey! We hope you found it useful. Again, thank you to TrueRoll for putting that together for us at no cost. Hopefully, we can continue to bring one to you for all future conferences as we try to become more efficient and eco-friendlier. Keep your eye out for information on next year’s conference in St. Petersburg, Florida. The IAAO 88 th Annual Conference in Boston, Massachusetts is coming up August 28-31, 2022. If you can attend, I highly recommend it! I promise you will come away from the conference with at least one new idea if not more! It is very refreshing to see and hear how other assessing offices in the country handle many of the same issues we do and how they have tackled them. Several of your Board Members will be attending, hopefully coming home with another Chapter of the Year Award! Cross your fingers! The TPP Committee is busy working on the December TPP Seminar. Please mark your calendars for December 5-9, 2022, in Kissimmee for a great week of learning and networking. This year the 2-day pre-conference education will be a custom Excel Workshop titled “Excel for TPP Valuation”, geared toward Tangible Personal Property. This workshop is many years in the making and the TPP Committee is finally able to bring it to you. Pre-registration is now available on our website on the home page.

TREASURER A. Renee Large, AAS, EA, CFE Chief Administrative Officer Clay County SECRETARY Wynta Loughrey, RES, CFE Assistant Commercial Valuation Manager Sarasota County MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR Kathy Rhodes, CFE Manager Western Community Service Center Palm Beach County DIRECTOR Gina Fletcher, CFE, AAS, CSM, CPM Assistant Property Appraiser Leon County DIRECTOR Opal Hudson, CFE, CSM, CPM Assistant Chief Administrative Officer of Value Hillsborough County DIRECTOR Nikki Pontello, CFE Chief Administrative Officer St Johns County IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Kenny Pennington, CFE, CBC Chief Deputy Osceola County

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Summer 2022 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE CONTINUED

Finally, I would like to thank you for embracing me as your President for the 2022-2023 year. I am so honored for your confidence and faith in me. I am excited to work with my fellow Board members this year to bring you the education, professional development, and networking opportunities that you will enjoy. We work for you, so please feel free to contact us with any ideas, suggestions, or questions on how to make this organization better. I look forward to a successful year!

Respectfully,

Dee Dee Harnish, RES, AAS, CFE

FCIAAO 2022 - 2023 Chapter President

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Summer 2022 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

Nick Landry suddenly passed away Monday June 6, 2022 at the age of 52. He has been employed at the St. Johns County Property Appraiser’s Office since 2004, most recently in his role as Residen- tial Valuator. Nick was a member of the United States Navy. Please keep Nick’s family and his two children in your prayers.

- Read Nick’s obituary

Nick Landry

4/20/1970—6/6/2022

The Florida Chapter would like to help honor those who have contributed to the assessment com- munity. Please send ‘In Memory of’ submissions to Director Opal Hudson. Announcements will be published in our quarterly newsletter.

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Summer 2022 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

APPRAISAL TERMINOLOGY 101

Ad Valorem Tax — A tax levied in proportion to the value of the thing(s) being taxed. Exclusive of exemp- tions, use-value assessment provisions, and the like, the property tax is an ad valorem tax.

Source: Glossary for Property Appraisal and Assessment.

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Summer 2022 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: LYN ANDRZEJEWSKI

Name: “ Lyn” Lynette M. Andrzejewski County: Sarasota

What do you do for the Property Appraiser?

Public Service & Title Manager—I have the privilege of directing a wonderful staff of 20 professionals with offices located in North and South County and our satellite location in North Port City Hall. The assistant managers and subject area specialists are all outstanding public servants of exemption administration, compliance, and land records. I also attend VAB Hearings for exemption and portability matters, oversee the process of all real property ownership transactions, and provide support for all communication and print documents for public consumption including the annual TRIM notices.

How long have you been employed by the Property Appraiser?

Lynette M. Andrzejewski

Recently celebrated my 8th anniversary at the Property Appraiser’s Office, before working here I was a Principal Financial Analyst at the Sarasota County Clerk and Comptroller’s Finance office.

Why did you decide to enter the field? Looking back, my career path has taken some unexpected turns, but that’s why it has been such a rewarding adventure! I started a career in public accounting shortly after graduating from Quinnipiac University with a dual major in accounting and information systems, acquired my CPA, and then entered a career in government/public service. I was very familiar with New England assessments, but didn’t know much about Florida’s rules of engagement until I was on board at the Property Appraiser’s Office - once I started, I was immediately hooked! I enjoy the research of statutes, then applying the same to the scenarios encountered. What do you like most about your job? There are many likes! 1. Educating taxpayers on the services provided by the Property Appraiser’s Office. 2. Facing challenges with the determination to be fair and equitable in the application of the law. 3. And of course, the comradery of our incredible team and their can-do attitude.

Where were you born? Ogden, Utah

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Summer 2022 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: LYN ANDRZEJEWSKI—CONTINUED

Where was your best vacation ever?

Alaska & The Grand Canyon – it’s a toss–up! Along with a large group of family and friends, my husband David and I cruised to Alaska-fresh king crabs in Juneau and horseback riding thru glorious mountain scenery in Skagway.

Then we strolled the beautiful streets of Victoria BC where I learned that property taxes can be lowered by property beautifica- tion and raised in instances where properties are substandard.

Then it was the Grand Canyon, where David and I walked on glass 4,000 feet above the canyon floor. Breathtaking and so incredible!

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Summer 2022 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: LYN ANDRZEJEWSKI—CONTINUED

What are your hobbies and interest outside your job? I enjoy painting, (on canvas- not houses ), reading, bicycling along the shoreline, traveling, cooking savory dishes, baking, and spending time with my husband and our growing family. I also developed a green thumb during the pandemic. It all started with one gifted plant and blossomed into an entire patio and yard filled with plumeria, pineapples, aloe, vincas, pothos, new baby palm trees, purple hearts, philodendrons, begonias, and more! I also joined groups where we can trade plantings and cultivate starters for sharing. There is something incredible about caring for plants and seeing the transformation of my patio and gardens that bring me joy and feeds my soul!

What do you plan to do when you retire? Long Road trips -perhaps in an RV….

What is the best career advice you ’ ve been given? Dress for success - and I don’t mean the clothes you wear, but how you present yourself, your attitude, and how you address others at work and the public. It truly serves as a reflection of how important your job is to you. What ’ s one thing people would be surprised to know about you? Before moving to Florida, I was the first Civilian Administrative Officer for a Major Metropolitan Police Department in New England and helped them launch one of the largest non-profit Police Activity Leagues in the US. If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do? Jump for joy, turn cartwheels, laugh ‘til I cry! Then get down to the serious business of checking off all the boxes on my bucket list, and spending even more quality time with my family and loved ones.

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Summer 2022 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

FCIAAO 2022 CONFERENCE RECAP

Our 34 th Annual Conference held at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina was a great success, with over 229 attendees and 22 vendor booths. The week was full of engaging information, after more than two years into the pandemic we are still excited to be back to in-person learning and networking. Prior to the conference, workshops 851 and 191 were offered. Terry Taylor, CAE, RES, AAS, CFE, served as the instructor for Workshop 851 – RES Case Study Reviews while Workshop 191 – 7- hour USPAP update was taught by Kevin Hayes, MAI, CAE, RES, CFE. Our primary focus of the chapter is educating our membership through classes and session and we would love to hear your thoughts or recommendations on offerings.

Wednesday’s General Session included a warm welcome from the Honorable Marty Kiar, who introduced us to Karriem Edwards, VP of Development for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward Coun- ty. Our raffle raised nearly $1,400 to give back to their organization to help better the lives of youth in Broward County. We also heard from IAAO President, Wade Patterson, who provided us insight on some of the challenges IAAO has overcome in the last two years.

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Summer 2022 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

FCIAAO 2022 CONFERENCE RECAP

Thursday, we heard from a variety of presenters following one of the four tracks; including a property appraiser panel discussion, several round table discussions and presentations from some of our major vendors.

Real Estate

Exemptions

Track

Admin

Track

IT/GIS

Track

Track

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Summer 2022 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

FCIAAO 2022 CONFERENCE RECAP

Thursday evening was our annual Business meeting and Banquet. This year we presented nine Tony Hodge Awards to FCIAAO members who received their IAAO professional designations. Awards were given, along with raffle prizes from our generous vendors. We had dancing, food and fun was had by all!!

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

The Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Tim Wilmath, MAI, SRA, CFE. Tim was the Director of Valuation for the Hillsborough County Property Appraiser. He has been a frequent guest speaker and presenter at various property tax conferences and has testified as an expert witness at the Value Adjustment Board hearings, circuit and federal court. He has worked for both Property appraisers’ offices and as a property tax consultant. As the capstone of his career, Tim worked for the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s Office for four years until his retirement in 2021. In that time, he was instrumental in the office’s achievement of the Certificate of Excellence in Assessment Administration from the IAAO, the highest professional honor for an assessment jurisdiction offered by the IAAO.

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Summer 2022 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

FCIAAO 2022 CONFERENCE RECAP

MEMBER OF THE YEAR AWARD

The member of the year award was given to Lyn Andrejewski. Lyn has been a huge part of the FCIAAO Exemptions Steering Committee for a number of years and is an extreme credit to her profession. To read more about Lyn, go to our Membership Spotlight on page 6.

EXECUTIVE BOARD

Our new 2022-2023 FCIAAO President, Dee Dee Harnish, RES, AAS, CFE was sworn in for her term. Also, our new 2022-2023 Executive Board.

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Summer 2022 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

FCIAAO 2022 CONFERENCE RECAP

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Summer 2022 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

FCIAAO 2022 CONFERENCE RECAP

Friday morning, we ended the conference with a legal update from Anna Torres, Esq. and a legislative update presented by Bob Henriquez, CFA. Also, thanks to all of our very giving members & vendors we were able to give a donation to the Boys & Girls Club of Broward County to help support their organization. Thank you to the numerous sponsors who provided swag bags, sustenance breaks and entertainment at the President’s Party. We hope everyone enjoyed the conference and look forward to seeing you at our next event!!

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Summer 2022 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

COUNTY SPOTLIGHT: NASSAU COUNTY

Nassau County was the 10th county established in the state of Florida on December 29th, 1824. The county was sectioned out of Duval County and named after the Nassau River which separated the two. Nassau County is known for its fascinating history, dating back to when the French landed on Amelia Island in 1562 and the Spanish settled in 1567, making Fernandina Beach the second oldest city in the Country. Amelia Island is home to the oldest lighthouse, the oldest saloon, and the last platted Spanish settlement in Florida. Amelia Island, known as the Isle of the Eight Flags, is the only territory in the United States which was under the dominion of eight flags during the past 500 years. The eight flags consist of the French, Spanish, English, Patriot, Green Cross of Florida, Mexican, Confederate, and the United States flags. Each year during the first

Hon. A Michael Hickox,CFA

Property Appraiser

weekend of May, the Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival is held to celebrate the birth of the modern Shrimping Industry. Fernandina Beach has a natural deep-water port with proximity to the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean, which has been utilized since the mid 1800’s. Nassau County is conveniently located between NAS Jax and King’s Bay Naval Base, making it a prime location for military members and their families. About 13.6% of the adult population that reside in the county have served in the United States Armed Forces, almost double the national average of 7%. With two full-service resorts, multiple golf courses, and thirteen miles of pristine beaches, Amelia Island is one of the leading tourist attractions in the state of Florida, with almost 1.5 million visitors every year.

The timber industry is a key component of life in Nassau County. The significant economic boom began with the paper industry in the late 1930s. Container Corporation of America (today’s WestRock) planted its roots in Fernandina, establishing a paperboard mill, which began production in 1937. This changed the course of history here in Nassau County. It contributes $35 million annually to Florida’s wages and salaries and $2 million to Florida’s property and sales taxes.

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Summer 2022 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

EDUCATION CALENDAR

IAAO 101 —Fundamentals of Real Property Appraisal

July 25-28, 2022

IAAO 500— Assessment of Personal Property

Aug 8-11, 2022

IAAO 601—Cadastral Mapping: Methods & Applications

Oct 24-27, 2022

IAOO 851—RES, Case Study Review Workshop

Sept 28-30, 2022

Emergency Management (EM) 101 Webinar

Aug 18, 2022

The Florida Department of Revenue sponsors the offerings listed above. For more details and to register online visit Floridarevenue.com

“SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE. IT IS A WAY TO ACHIEVE IMMORTALITY.”

- DALAI LAMA

CALLING ALL BEST PRACTICE ROCKSTARS

If you haven’t heard the BUZZ yet FCIAAO has added a Best Practices segment to our newsletters and we want YOU to be a part of it !! This section is dedicated to sharing assessment challenges, so- lutions, and all around good ideas!!

What obstacles has your office faced recently? Have you found a unique answer to an assessment problem? What are some of the innovations you have discovered or adapted? Tell us about the things you do RIGHT!

If your office has recently received recognition for the work you have done, let us share with the other Florida Chapter members. This is a GREAT way to brag on why your County is the BEST of the BEST!! We can’t wait to hear from you!!

Please send all submissions to Director, Opal Hudson. Please be sure to include who is responsible for the submission along with your County logo so we can put their NAME IN LIGHTS!!

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Summer 2022 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Positions Available

County

VARIOUS GIS Cadastral Mapper Valuation Specialist II

Brevard

Commercial Appraiser III

Charlotte

Commercial Appraiser

Duval

Appraiser/Evaluator

Escambia

Commercial Specialist

Hernando

Field Inspector

Hillsborough

GIS Cadastralist II

Indian River

VARIOUS Appraiser II - Residential/Commercial Senior Mapping Specialist

Manatee

TPP Appraiser I TPP Appraiser II

VARIOUS Commercial Real Estate Appraiser Analyst II Commercial Real Estate Appraiser Analyst III Residential Real Estate Field Appraiser I Senior Director, Valuations Tangible Personal Property Auditor I Tangible Personal Property Field Appraiser I

Orange

VARIOUS Commercial Appraiser GIS Developer Senior GIS Technician

Osceola

Residential Manager

Putman

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Summer 2022 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES CONTINUED

Positions Available

County

Commercial Appraiser

Saint Lucie

Various Commercial Appraiser Commercial Field Technician Residential Appraiser Residential Field Technician

Sarasota

Property Analyst Specialist

Volusia County

Chief Property Appraiser

Wakulla County

Commercial Appraiser

Walton County

Click HERE to view more information on the FCIAAO Employment Opportunities page.

To post a job opportunity on the FCIAAO website, please email your job posting to Wynta Loughrey, Webmaster. It is the policy of the Chapter to only post job opportunities for member jurisdictions and subscribing member entities.

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Summer 2022 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

RETIREMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Congratulations to those individuals below who recently retired or who plan to do so in the near future. The FCIAAO thanks you for your hard work and dedication!

Retiree

Title at Retirement

County

Years of Service

Tonya Caldwell

Deputy of Tax Roll

Citrus

29 Years

Richard Sanchez

Valuation Analyst

Hillsborough

27 Years

Ronald Wright

Appraiser III

Hillsborough

37 Years

Exemptions & Customer Service Director

Cindy Jeffcoat

Osceola

29 Years

Sr. Deed Processing Representative

Brandy Bucci

Palm Beach

20 Years

Darrel Darden

Senior Residential Appraiser

Palm Beach

38 Years

Madge Livingstone

Customer Service

Palm Beach

30 Years

Cathie McAleer

Senior TPP Appraiser

Palm Beach

17 Years

Jim Michael

Residential Senior Appraiser

Palm Beach

35 Years

Pat Poston

Director of Exemption Services

Palm Beach

13 Years

Barbara Shore- Kirschhoff

Residential Senior Appraiser

Palm Beach

29 Years

Are you or a member of your office retiring? Or maybe you already have. We want to know! Please send all notices of retirement to Director Opal Hudson. Be sure to include name, county, title at time of retirement and years of service. Retirement announcements will be published in our quar- terly newsletter.

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Summer 2022 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATION NEWS

Congratulations to the FCIAAO Executive Board and the Steering Committees for producing another great annual conference! As usual, it provided many informative, educational sessions and networking opportunities. It was nice to see everyone. Once again, I had the opportunity to highlight some of the recent changes with IAAO’s Professional Designation Program and the honor of presenting the 2022 Tony Hodge Educational Awards. Since 2017, there have been a total of 967 new candidates accepted into IAAO’s Professional Designation Program. Historically, the AAS and RES designations have accounted for about 60% of the total. But in recent years, the CAE has become more popular – equal to the AAS. There have been a total of 574 professional designations earned and conferred in the past five years. The RES and AAS designations have been the most popular and account for about 69% of the total.

DID YOU KNOW?

 IAAO members may now apply online for professional designation candidacy through IAAO’s website (www.iaao.org)  The IAAO has developed a data set (that should be available for use by fall 2022) to assist MAS candidates in the preparation of the demonstration narrative appraisal report.  Candidates can now apply and pay for master examinations online – no more pdf forms. And most, if not all, of the master examinations will be offered online (with live remote proctoring) by the end of 2022.  Recertification cycles for IAAO designees are for a period of 5 years and begin the January 1 following the date the designation was conferred. Recertification requires 70 hours of education, including (2) 7-hour USPAP updates and IAAO Workshop 171.  IAAO designees can now complete and submit their Continuing Education Logs online. According to the IAAO website, “Credit hours can be submitted at any time for review, but the recertification will occur during the final year of one’s cycle; early recertification is not allowed.”

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Summer 2022 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATION NEWS CONTINUED

IAAO designations signify exceptional professionalism and competence in property valuation, prop- erty tax administration and property tax policy. Many consider a designation to be one of the highest professional achievements an individual can obtain. The FCIAAO Executive Board and the Profes- sional Designation Committee applauds the recipients for their commitment and perseverance. By earning their designations, they join an exclusive club of assessment professionals. This year, we proudly recognized 9 deserving recipients:

Tony Hodge Educational Award Eligibility

Effective January 1, 2022, the eligibility requirements for the Tony Hodge Educational Award are as follows: The Tony Hodge Educational Award may be granted to FCIAAO regular members who earn their IAAO professional designation. The Executive Board shall recognize newly designated members at the successive FCIAAO Annual Conference and may present them with a $500 check. To be eligi- ble, new designees must be a FCIAAO member (in good standing) for at least 24 consecutive months prior to being awarded their IAAO designation and receiving the award. Award recipients must be registered for the annual conference to participate in the awards program. New designees should email a copy of IAAO’s letter conferring the designation (or certificate) to tdrake@ccpao.com. It is the designee’s responsibility to provide proof of eligibility.

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Summer 2022 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

2022 IAAO ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Registration for the 2022 IAAO Annual Conference is now open, along with registration for the annual golf outing on Saturday, Aug. 27 and tickets for a Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park. IAAO’s Annual Conference is set for Aug. 28-31 at the Sheraton Boston and Hynes Convention Center. IAAO Annual Conferences are the industry’s premiere event to learn best practices, emerging technology, trends, and to connect with others in the field. The 88th annual conference will offer a variety of education session presentation choices, roundtable talks and panel discussions presented over the three days. The early bird registration fee is $730 for members and $925 for nonmembers and will be available through Friday, July 15. Go to the conference page on the IAAO website for more de- tails. The Massachusetts Chapter of IAAO is handling the golf outing and tickets for the Tampa Bay Rays vs. Boston Red Sox game; both can be purchased at ma-iaao.org.

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Summer 2022 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

Mission Statement

“FCIAAO is a statewide community of mass appraisal experts, who offer education and

professional development opportunities in ad valorem appraisal, administration, and tax

policy.”

A publication by the Florida Chapter of International Association of Assessing Officers

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Summer 2022 Newsletter of the FCIAAO