Title
AMENDMENT TO APPRAISAL ORDINANCE (B)
ORDINANCE NO.: 0-05-100
An ordinance of the City of Gainesville, Florida, amending Article VI, Section 2-435 of the Code of Ordinances to increase the value of property requiring appraisal to $100,000; providing directions to the codifier; providing a severability clause; providing a repealing clause; and providing an immediate effective date.
recommendation
The City Commission adopt the proposed ordinance.
explanation
On October 10, 2005, the City Commission authorized the City Attorney to draft, and the Clerk of the Commission to advertise an ordinance that would increase the value of property requiring appraisal to $100,000.00.
It is the desire of the City Manager and the Gainesville Regional Utilities General Manager to exempt real property transactions of $100,000 or less from the requirement of obtaining a written appraisal. Currently, Section 2-435, City of Gainesville Code of Ordinances, requires an appraisal for all city purchases and sales of real property at a cost of $10,000 or more. Land values have increased significantly since this ordinance was last modified in 1986. As a result, many routine transactions involving even small parcels of land now require an appraisal, with costs ranging from as little as $200 to as much as $20,000, depending on the type of property and the scope and complexity of the appraisal. This significantly increases the city's costs for such transactions, and causes delays in their completion. Section 166.045, Florida Statutes, which requires written appraisals for acquisition of property for a municipal purpose, allows the governing body of the municipality, by ordinary vote, to exempt purchases of $100,000 or less from the appraisal requirement. Amending the city's ordinance to exempt purchases of $100,000 or less from the appraisal requirement would make routine land transactions less costly and time consuming for the city, thus saving taxpayers' money....
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