Probably the most talked about issue in West Tisbury and Martha's Vineyard over the past nine months has been the "Graham" case. I wrote about it last summer. The case has been heard before the Appellate Tax Board and a decision is likely this Spring. However, it is likely that no matter what the decision of the Board, the losing party will appeal.
We had two Special Town Meetings before the Town agreed to pay most of the legal fees incurred in this case. Clearly, this case will impact the upcoming Town election. To date, the Graham side has won the PR war as the Board of Assessors has been fairly silent on the issue other than to state that they are acting in the Town's best interests. And, maybe they are.
One of the parties involved in this matter, Vision Appraisal Technology, which actually does the appraising using their proprietary software, has issued a letter to all of its clients giving its views of the case. They make the point that Graham's case made no mention of sales data or market activity, which I would think are extremely relevant in appraisals. Surprisingly, Graham's expert witness was Graham himself. If these claims are true, I find it hard that the Tax Board could take Graham seriously.
Another peculiar aspect of Graham's position is that he has offered to settle the case and pay his taxes if the Town fires the Board of Assessors and the Principal Assessor and if the Town brings in a new appraisal system. Again, not being anywhere near as wealthy as Mr. Graham, this seems to me as an overly altruistic and paternalistic position to take. But, maybe he can afford to be generous if he gets his way.
Clearly, the fat lady has not yet sung. We'll be hearing more about this matter in 2006 and, probably, beyond.
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