45th Institute on Property Taxation
Joint Annual Conference Set for October 27-28, 2003Reviewing and implementing new property tax legislation will be the emphasis of the 45th Institute on Property Taxation held in conjunction with the Comptroller's Property Tax Division 25th Annual Conference for tax professionals and taxpayers. The conference is the joint effort of the Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) School of Public Affairs, the State Comptroller's Property Tax Division, and property tax associations.
The conference is Monday and Tuesday, October 27 and 28, at the Thompson Conference Center on the University of Texas campus at Red River and Dean Keeton (26th) Streets in Austin. The conference dates were selected for available meeting and hotel facilities. All conference sessions and workshops will be held in the Thompson Conference Center.
The $135 registration fee (a slight increase above last year) covers the cost of the rooms for the joint conference general sessions and workshops, refreshments, and handouts. Please send the fee with the registration form to the Office of Conference and Training at the LBJ School at the address listed on the registration form. The Joint Conference Pre-Registration Form is a PDF file. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you will need to download the latest version to view and print this file.
Time information
Registration will be in the lobby of the Thompson Conference Center between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. on Monday morning, October 27. General sessions begin at 8:30 a.m. Monday and Tuesday, October 28. Workshop sessions will be from 1:30 to 5:00 p.m. on Monday.
Hotel arrangements
The Omni Austin Hotel at Downtown has set aside a room block for conference participants at the preferential room rate of $80 for a single and $100 for a double, plus $8 per day for parking. The hotel is located at 700 San Jacinto at 8th Street. The hotel’s telephone number is (512) 476-3700, fax number is (512) 397-4885.
The special rate will be offered until October 5, or until the room block is filled. Please tell the reservation clerk that you are a program participant to obtain the special rate.
Special assistance
The Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs staff wants to assist people with special needs. Please indicate on the registration form if a person requires assistance. The staff asks for notice by October 15.
Refund policy
If pre-registered but unable to attend, a person is entitled to a full refund if the LBJ School receives cancellation notice at least three working days before the conference. The refund must be requested in writing, stating the social security/tax I.D. number of the refund recipient.
Refunds will be processed after the completion of the conference. Partial refunds or fee payments cannot be accepted or processed. There will be no refunds for late cancellations and no-shows. The LBJ School cannot be responsible for any expenses incurred before a person received a confirmation of registration from the LBJ School office.
Conference schedule
The conference schedule highlights the sessions and workshops for each day. Topics will be of interest to appraisal districts, taxing units, taxpayers, and appraisal review board members. See the schedule below.
45th Institute on Property Taxation
Texas Comptroller's Property Tax Division 25th Annual Conference
October 27-28, 2003
Thompson Conference Center, The University of Texas at Austin
Monday, October 27, 2003 7:30 a.m. Registration
Thompson Conference Center Lobby8:30 a.m. Welcome & Introduction
Room 1.110General Sessions 8:45 a.m What We Got from the 78th Texas Legislative Session.
A review of the main tax bills and other important items that the Texas Legislature addressed in the past session will bring you up-to-date on property tax legislation.9:30 a.m Rendering Property in 2004.
You should be aware of the changes to the rendition laws that take effect January 1, 2004.10:15 a.m. Break 10:35 a.m. Residential Home Values – What’s the Market Doing?
How does the current market supply of homes for sale projected for January 1, 2004 compare with January 1, 2003? What are the projections for home values in the coming months?11:15 a.m. Appraising in a Softer Market
A look at market changes that began after January 1, 2003 will help predict the appraisal issues that loom for January 1, 2004, particularly in the areas of commercial office space and apartments.12:00 noon Lunch on your own 1:30 p.m. Concurrent Workshops I
- Timber Appraisal Issues. This workshop will review timber issues that affect the timber and market values of timberland, including the capitalization rate and its effect on timber values.
- Changes for Appraisal Review Board Members. Stay up-to-date on the recent changes mandated by law dealing with the appeals process and other areas that affect appraisal review boards.
- Collection Open Forum. This question & answer session will review current practices and forecast future changes in collections from the legislative session.
- Cost Savings – Tight Budgets/Tough Times. Speaker from a local taxing unit will present ideas that did and didn’t work to save money in view of the current budget crises.
3:00 Break 3:30 p.m. Concurrent Workshops II
- Appraisal Concepts for Collectors. Collectors are frequently faced with questions from the public on appraisal issues that they normally don’t handle. This workshop will explain what collectors need from appraisal districts to help inform the public.
- Exempting Community Housing Development Organizations (CHODOs). The workshop will address the issues and new changes dealing with these organizations who have low and moderate-income housing.
- Comptroller's Property Value Study & Appeals. Comptroller staff will respond to questions about the study, current issues, and possible future changes.
- Appraisal of Brownfields. Appraising and collecting delinquent taxes on contaminated properties has created special challenges, which will be addressed in this session.
Tuesday, October 28, 2003 General Sessions 8:30 a.m. Working Together and Making It Fun.
Teamwork and customer service will be emphasized by four different concepts presented in the “Fish” video, a look at a unique business experiment in the Seattle, Washington fish market. Concepts are: “Play; be there; make their day; and choose your attitude.”
10:00 a.m. Break 10:20 a.m. Exemptions – News & Changes.
What are the changes to exemption laws and how will local officials implement them for 2003 and 2004?11:00 a.m. School Finance.
What now?12:15 p.m. Adjourn
