Governor Hogan has named Sean Powell as the new Director of the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT). Mr. Powell has served as the supervisor of assessments for St. Mary’s County since 2003.
In an article in the Daily Record (subscription is required to view), the Governor quoted as saying he is “confident Sean Powell will further advance SDAT’s mission of promoting fairness in taxation for Maryland property owners.” The Governor also states that SDAT will “continue to explore programs that provide property tax relief and business services.”
MACo has worked closely with SDAT over the past several years and was instrumental in the creation of a Property Assessment Workgroup (AWG) to examine issues related to the assessment process for real and personal property, tax credits, and tax exemptions. Budget narrative adopted during the 2015 session directs SDAT to establish a State and Local Advisory Council to discuss issues of mutual interest with local governments and provide guidance on the implementation of recommendations from the AWG.
MACo believes the Advisory Council would improve communication amongst state and local partners and provide a forum to discuss business process changes, the leveraging of technology with state and local partners to improve the assessment process, and other matters raised by the partners. Local government looks forward to working with SDAT on these important matters.
