Spring 2026 FCIAAO Newsletter

Property Appraisers’s ASSOCIATION OF FLORIDA

PAUL L POLK, CFA, AAS, RES CHARLOTTE COUNTY PA

It is an honor to serve as the current President of the Property Appraisers' Association of Florida (PAAF), now a unified organization representing all 67 elected Property Appraisers across the great state of Florida. For more than 120 years, PAAF has promoted fair, equitable, and accurate property assessments throughout the state. In 1989, a division within the association led to the formation of the Florida Association of Property Appraisers (FAPA). Over the following 35 years, several formal efforts were made to reunite the two organizations; however, those attempts were unsuccessful. I am proud to say that in October of last year, during each association’s annual conference, the long-anticipated merger between PAAF and FAPA was finalized. This achievement was the result of years of thoughtful discussions and collaboration among the leadership and members of both associations. The timing of this unification could not have come at a more critical moment. As we are all aware, property tax reform has been a major focus of the Governor and the Legislature since the beginning of last year’s legislative session. PAAF members, along with our general counsel the Levy Law Firm and Arrow Group Consulting, have ensured that our presence in Tallahassee has never been stronger. As of this writing, we still do not have a clear picture of what legislative changes—if any—may emerge from an anticipated special legislative session. As an association, we will continue to closely monitor proposals, provide input and analysis when requested, and most importantly share accurate, honest information on the impacts of any proposal with our staffs and the constituents we were elected to serve. Finally, I would like to recognize the Honorable Mitch Burke, CFA (Gulf County), immediate past president of PAAF, and the Honorable Ayesha Solomon, CFA, AAS (Alachua County), immediate past president of FAPA, for their leadership and vision throughout the unification process. Many others also played important roles in making this merger a reality, and I extend my sincere thanks to all who helped bring this historic effort to completion.

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STAYING APPRAISED

SPRING 2026