Property assessment division; established; Property Tax Administrator; powers and duties; appeal rights
(1) A division of state government to be known as the property assessment division of the Department of Revenue is established. The Property Tax Administrator shall be the chief administrative officer of the division but shall be under the general supervision of the Tax Commissioner.
(2) The goals and functions of the division shall be to: (a) Execute faithfully the property tax laws of the State of Nebraska; (b) provide for efficient, updated methods and systems of property tax reporting, enforcement, and related activities; and (c) continually seek to improve its system of administration.
(3) All employees, budget requirements, appropriations, encumbrances, and assets and liabilities of the Department of Property Assessment and Taxation for the administration of property valuation and equalization shall be transferred and delivered to the division. The transferred employees shall not lose any accrued benefits or status due to the transfer and shall receive the same benefits as other state employees, including participation in the State Employees Retirement Act.
(4) The Tax Commissioner or Property Tax Administrator may appeal any final decision of a county board of equalization relating to the granting or denying of an exemption of real or personal property to the Tax Equalization and Review Commission. If the Tax Commissioner or Property Tax Administrator files such an appeal, the person, corporation, or organization granted or denied the exemption by the county board of equalization shall be made a party to the appeal and shall be issued a notice of the appeal by the Tax Equalization and Review Commission within thirty days after the appeal is filed. The Tax Commissioner or Property Tax Administrator may appeal any final decision of the Tax Equalization and Review Commission relating to the granting or denying of an exemption of real or personal property or relating to the valuation or equalization of real property.