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Letter to the editor

Land deal prompts bills

By DEMORRIS A. LEE, Times Staff Writer
Published September 6, 2007

Taking a cue from the grand jury's report in the Jim Smith land deal, state lawmakers are responding with a proposal to prevent similar transactions in the future.

Legislation is being drafted in both the Florida House and Senate that would require an outside source to assess the value of any property owned by a county property appraiser.

"This is a step to maintain the integrity of that constitutional office," said Rep. Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater, who is sponsoring the bill in the House.

Any property owned or jointly owned by a property appraiser would be subject to an independent assessment by an appraiser from another county, Hooper said.

The move was prompted by the grand jury investigation into Pinellas County's decision to buy a 1.5-acre vacant plot from Smith, its property appraiser, for nearly four times its assessed value.

Tuesday, Susan Churuti, the county's top attorney, was fired by the County Commission over her handling of the land deal. County Administrator Steve Spratt was reprimanded. Smith didn't return phone calls seeking comment.

While the jury found no criminal activity, it sharply criticized the way the transaction was conducted. The jury issued a report and instructed State Attorney Bernie McCabe to forward a copy to the entire Pinellas County legislative delegation.

"The grand jury was particularly concerned that there was no independent review of appraisals of property in which any county property appraiser has an interest," McCabe wrote in an Aug. 28 cover letter.

State Sen. Mike Fasano, a Republican who represents a portion of the Pinellas County, is sponsoring a similar bill in the Senate.

"It's vital, for perception, that the public knows that our government is going to be run in an ethical manner," Fasano said.

County Commissioner Ken Welch agreed with the move, saying the county endorsed a similar proposal.

But Rob Turner, Hillsborough County's property appraiser, cautioned against overreaction. He said the Smith deal raised awareness among appraisers about personal property assessments.

"But this proposed legislation is a reaction to an isolated incident, and I don't think it's necessary," Turner said.

He said it would be tough for an appraiser to go into another county and give accurate and sound assessments.

The state's property appraisers' offices are audited by the Florida Department of Revenue, which should be the one to provide additional oversight, Turner said.

"There is no reason they can't include an audit and review of the assessment of not only the elected property appraiser, but the senior staff members," said Turner, who has served as Hillsborough's appraiser for 10 years. "The oversight would certainly bring forward any discrepancies and concerns."

Demorris A. Lee can be reached at 445-4174 or dalee@sptimes.com.

[Last modified September 6, 2007, 01:03:47]