Johnson County supervisors change course, grant refund over tower taxes

IOWA CITY - Two weeks after denying a resident's request for a refund on taxes she paid following an inaccurate property assessment, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors has reversed its vote.

On Thursday, the board voted unanimously to refund property owner Jean Fisher's taxes, or at least as much as the board legally can according to state code.

That means Fisher will be refunded $2,848, rather than the $5,000 she requested. State code only allows the board to refund taxes as far back as two years from the initial notification from the resident.

The board did not opine on the matter before voting at the 5:30 p.m. public hearing.

The board originally voted 3-2, with only supervisors Janelle Rettig and Pat Harney in support, last month to deny Fisher's request.

However, the public outcry that followed led supervisor Mike Carberry to request the vote come back for reconsideration.

The vote marks the first time in at least 15 years that the board has reversed a formal vote, according to county staff.

Fisher's request, originally made last year, stems from an inaccurate assessment of her land by the Johnson County Assessor's Office, which noted a cellular tower on her property. The erroneous assessment - the tower does not exist - increased Fisher's tax bill by roughly $1,600 a year.

Verizon Wireless, which paid roughly $25,000 due to the assessment, has not contacted the county about the increased taxes.

Officials with the Johnson County Assessor's Office have admitted the mistake, but said there is a procedure - including taking the matter to the Board of Review - for taxpayers to address assessment discrepancies within a set time frame. Fisher failed to do so in the timely manner required.