Habersham approves $491,480 McCormick contract for commercial and industrial property reviews

Habersham County commissioners unanimously approved a three-year, $491,480 contract with McCormick Solutions on July 17, 2023, authorizing the company to assist with new-construction assessments, industrial and commercial appraisals, and reviews of 23,000 nonexempt parcels. The official meeting minutes record a motion by Commissioner Palmer, a second by Commissioner Harkness and a 5-0 vote to approve the agreement.

The decision concerns a central piece of county government: the administration of property assessments. Commercial and industrial valuations, along with assessments of new construction, help determine the information used in the local property-tax system. By bringing in McCormick, the commission committed public funds to expand or support that review work across a large group of nonexempt parcels.

The contract first appeared as a proposed item on the commission’s July 17 regular-meeting agenda, placing the McCormick agreement before commissioners for consideration. At that same meeting, Chief Tax Assessor Joan Church addressed the board about the proposal, according to the minutes. The proceeding then moved beyond consideration: the minutes document the commission’s unanimous approval of the three-year agreement and its stated scope.

County commissioners were the decision-makers, voting 5-0 after Palmer made the motion and Harkness seconded it. Church, as chief tax assessor, presented the matter to the board. McCormick Solutions was the proposed and approved contractor. The minutes describe the purpose of the arrangement as assistance with new construction, commercial and industrial appraisals, and reviews of nonexempt parcels; they do not record competing arguments from commissioners or public speakers about the contract.

The contract approval is a completed commission action, not simply a proposal: the meeting minutes record the vote, a three-year term and a total value of $491,480. They list a first-year cost of $226,693 and state that it was budgeted. What those minutes do not establish is what happened after approval—whether work proceeded as planned, what payments were made, or whether the review program was completed.

No later official action or upcoming public step is documented in this matter. The next concrete public development would be a county agenda, commission action, contract record or assessment-related report showing how the approved agreement was carried out. Until such a record emerges, residents can identify the authorization and its intended scope, but not the contract’s later results or completion.