Members of the state’s watchdog agency made a lengthy visit to the Knox County Property Assessor’s Office on Dec. 4, Knox News has learned.
The property assessor determines the value of commercial, residential and personal property and passes that information along to the county trustee, who collects property taxes based on those values. The property assessor and the trustee are subject to almost no oversight and operate independently of the county mayor, commission and other elected offices.
The reason for the visit and what the watchdog agency is seeking is not known. A spokesperson for the comptroller’s office confirmed the visit but declined to provide details, citing office policy. The Comptroller of the Treasury conducts audits into local governments and works with county audit committees to investigate suspected waste, fraud and abuse…