From the Northwest Indiana Times:
The accomplishment amounts to refunds and interest of just more than $29 million, according to the auditor's office.
"Completing this task has not been easy," Snyder said Tuesday during a news conference.
Identifying this goal as a top priority when he took office at the start of 2011, Snyder helped increase the efficiency of the five-member PTABOA by reducing the number of members from five to three. The group also began meeting more often, all of which was accomplished with only a small increase in funding, he said.
The reduction of the appeals is not only good news for taxpayers, but also the various taxing units servicing each parcel in question, which are ultimately responsible for paying the refunds, Snyder said.
The work is not over for the group. There have 1,200 new appeals filed this year, he said. While half have reportedly been addressed, Snyder expects the usual 2,400 to 3,000 to be filed by the Nov. 13 deadline.
"Our office will implement safeguards to ensure that the words 'backlog' and 'appeal' are not in the same sentence again," Snyder said.
