Section 48-5-349.2. Procedure for appeal to department

   (a)(1) An appeal to the department shall be effected by a local governing authority by filing with the commissioner a notice of appeal within 30 days after receipt by the local board of tax assessors of the commissioner's notification of digest conditional approval or disapproval. The notice of appeal shall be accompanied by whatever records, reports, or other relevant information is required by rule or order of the commissioner.

   (2) Upon receipt of an appeal of a conditional approval order of the commissioner where the specific penalty and the withholding of state grants to the county provided by Code Section 48-5-346 shall otherwise be imposed, the commissioner shall be authorized to enter into an agreement with the county specifying a detailed plan in the form required by the commissioner to ensure that the deficiencies in the digest will be corrected on or before the time of submission of the digest for the next succeeding digest review year. As a part of such agreement the commissioner shall be authorized to defer the imposition of all or part of the specific penalty and the withholding of state grants. Such deferral shall be predicated upon the county's detailed plans of correction being followed and where such a deferral has been agreed to by the commissioner and the county, the amounts deferred shall be permanently waived by the commissioner provided the agreement is faithfully completed by the county. In the event, however, the county only partially completes the agreement with the commissioner, the commissioner may, at his option, still allow all or a reduced amount of the specific penalty or withholding of funds to be waived if, in his judgment, the county's deviation from the original agreement was not unreasonable under the circumstances.

(b) Within ten days of receipt of a notice of appeal, the hearing officer shall set the date for a hearing on the appeal. At the initial hearing the hearing officer may require additional hearings or filings of additional information by any person having custody of such information. In determining whether additional hearings are needed, the hearing officer shall consider the need for such hearings in the county making the appeal for the purpose of receiving information on local factors affecting the determination of property valuations in the county.
   (c)(1) After hearing all testimony determined necessary and after reviewing all filings and information determined to be relevant and necessary, the hearing officer shall reach a decision. Each decision shall be rendered in writing.

   (2) The decision shall:

      (A) Specifically decide each issue presented on appeal; and

      (B) Certify the date on which the notice of the decision is given.

   (3) Each party to an appeal shall be furnished a copy of the decision within ten days after the issuance of the decision.
   (d)(1) The hearing officer shall be authorized to hear and grant an appeal with respect to a determination by the commissioner that a digest does not meet the requirements of subsection (a) of Code Section 48-5-343. The hearing officer may not hear and grant an appeal with respect to the correctness of the information supplied to the commissioner by the state auditor pursuant to Code Section 48-5-274. The digest shall be deemed approved in any case where an appeal is granted under this paragraph.

   (2) The hearing officer shall be authorized to hear and grant an appeal with respect to the adequacy of the time period which was available to the county to correct prior deficiencies in the digest. If an appeal is granted under this paragraph, the specific penalty and the withholding of state grants to the county provided by Code Section 48-5-346 shall not be imposed during the digest evaluation cycle in which the digest review year being appealed lies.

   (3) The hearing officer shall be authorized to hear and grant an appeal with respect to a determination of an additional amount due which is assessed by the commissioner pursuant to subsection (b) of Code Section 48-5-345 to the extent such appeal is not based on the correctness of the information supplied to the commissioner by the state auditor pursuant to Code Section 48-5-274. If an appeal is granted under this paragraph, the commissioner may be directed to withdraw the assessment of the additional state tax or recalculate it in accordance with the findings of the hearing officer.

   (4) The hearing officer shall be authorized to hear and grant an appeal with respect to a determination of a specific penalty which is levied by the commissioner pursuant to paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of Code Section 48-5-346 to the extent such appeal is not based on the correctness of the information supplied to the commissioner by the state auditor pursuant to Code Section 48-5-274. If an appeal is granted under this paragraph, the commissioner may be directed to withdraw the levy of the specific penalty or recalculate it in accordance with the findings of the hearing officer.

Code 1981, § 48-5-349.2, enacted by Ga. L. 1988, p. 1763, § 1; Ga. L. 1991, p. 728, § 10; Ga. L. 1992, p. 2494, § 9; Ga. L. 1999, p. 81, § 48; Ga. L. 2000, p. 1683, § 9.