Chattooga County Sole Commissioner Andy Allen is raising questions about the terms of a proposed new three-year contract with Georgia Mass Appraisal Solutions and Services, or GMASS, the private company that provides property appraisal services for the county.

Allen says he is holding off on renewing the contract until several provisions can be addressed, particularly as the number of property tax appeals in Chattooga County continues to increase.

According to information presented by Allen, Chattooga County currently pays GMASS $158,328 annually for its appraisal work. The company provides trained and certified appraisers who assist the county Board of Assessors and visit every property at least once during a three-year period.

Allen said the county previously had enough employees to conduct appraisal work in-house, but maintaining a qualified staff has become increasingly difficult.

“We need a company that can come in and do a third of all these properties every year,” Allen said.

One of Allen’s primary concerns involves property tax appeals. Under the contract, GMASS charges the county an additional fee for each taxpayer appeal.

Allen questioned whether the company should receive additional compensation when taxpayers challenge property values established through the appraisal process.

He said a company responsible for establishing property values should have an incentive to make sure those values are accurate from the beginning.

“It’s almost a benefit for them to see more appeals,” Allen said. “I think they should have some skin in the game.”

Allen emphasized that he is not questioning GMASS’s reputation or qualifications. The company has been in business since 2008, and Allen described it as a reputable company that has provided a valuable service to Chattooga County.

Instead, the commissioner said his goal is to make sure any new agreement clearly defines the company’s responsibilities and provides taxpayers with the best value possible.

The Chattooga County Board of Assessors has already voted to approve the proposed GMASS contract, which would pay the company approximately $495,000 over three years. However, the agreement has not yet been signed by the commissioner.

GMASS is seeking a four-percent increase under the proposed contract.

Allen said he wants clarification on several provisions before moving forward with another three-year agreement.