Pierce County Assessor Treasurer Dale Washam today told the County Council that the office skipped tens of thousands of property inspections required by state law to ensure properties are assessed fairly for tax purposes.

At a budget hearing this morning, Washam said the office skipped inspections on more than 181,000 residential parcels under his predecessor, Ken Madsen. That’s well over half the residential parcels in the county.

Washam also said the office failed to inspect tens of thousands of commercial properties.

I’ve spoken with several current and former assessor-treasurer employees in recent days who also contend the inspections weren’t done. I’m calling Madsen today to seek comment.

State law requires local assessors to physically inspect every parcel at least every six years. In other years assessors can use statistical methods to update property values by comparing sales of comparable properties.

The physical inspections catch improvements like garages or decks that can substantially increase the value of homes. They also can uncover significant damage or other problems that can lead to declining values.

When asked at this morning meeting what impact the lack of physical inspections had on property owners, Washam said he asked his appraisers the same question. “The answer I got is, we can’t answer,” he said.

Update: I just got off the phone with Ken Madsen. He conceded his office did not conduct "boots on the ground" inspections of every parcel. However, he said the office "touched" every parcel, though some were touched by statistical analysis.

"It depends on what you mean by physical inspection," Madsen said.

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For the record, state law defines physical inspection this way: "...at a minimum, an exterior observation of the property to determine whether there have been any changes in the physical characteristics that affect value."

Madsen said the state Department of Revenue was aware of the practices used in Pierce County. And he said other counties do the same.

I spoke with a spokesman for at the Department of Revenue last week. He said the department does not grant waivers from the physical inspection requirement.

Madsen said it would require a big boost in staffing to conduct the "boots on the ground" physical inspections Washam has pledged.

"Boots on the ground on every parcel, he's probably going to have to double or triple the staff," Madsen said. "I don't think the council's going to buy that."

Look for updates on Political Buzz later today and for a full story in tomorrow’s News Tribune.