Press Releases


PRESS RELEASE: FAYETTE PVA DAVID O’NEILL RECEIVES INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR EMPHASIS ON PUBLIC INFORMATION

Las Vegas, Nev. – Today the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO) presented the Public Information Award to Fayette County, Kentucky’s Property Valuation Administrator (PVA) David O’Neill for the redesign of their property assessment notices. 

PRESS RELEASE: LIKE THE WHO, PVA DAVID O’NEILL’S OFFICE IS “GOING MOBILE”

Lexington, Ky. – “I can pull up by the curb, I can make it on the road, goin’ mobile” aren’t just lyrics by a classic rock band, they also describe new upgrades in Fayette County Property Valuation Administrator (PVA) David O’Neill’s office.

PRESS RELEASE: FAYETTE COUNTY PVA DAVID O’NEILL DEBUTS NEW WEBSITE FEATURE AT CPAL LUNCHEON

(Lexington, KY) – Fayette County Property Valuation Administrator David O’Neill today announced the debut of a new feature on FayettePVA.com which allows for easy access to up-to-date information on commercial property sales. These new electronic reports will allow users to view and download monthly sales data on commercial property of all types, including multi-family residential units and vacant land sales. The announcement was made during a presentation to the Commercial Property Association of Lexington, and is yet another significant improvement in open data and transparency in local government. 

Similar reports for residential property debuted in June 2012, and are updated to FayettePVA.comeach Friday morning. 

FayettePVA.com is commonly recognized as one of the top websites in the country for easy access to local property records, free of charge to end users. The current version of the website launched on January 2, 2012 after a two-year analysis, design, and development initiative where the best features of similar websites around the country were identified and implemented. 

FAYETTEPVA.COM CITED AS EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY

Statement by Fayette PVA David O’Neill

While announcing his administration’s new Open Data web page at a news conference today, Mayor Gray cited FayettePVA.com as an excellent example of open data and transparency in local government.  “I am honored to be recognized by the Mayor for our efforts. Transparency and open data have been a high priority since I became PVA nearly four years ago,” said David O’Neill, Fayette County PVA.

FayettePVA.com was one of the first government agency sites at any level of Kentucky government to list every expense of the office.  FayettePVA.com is also commonly recognized among the top web sites in the country for easy access to individual property records – free of charge to end users.

 The current version of FayettePVA.com launched on January 2, 2012 after a two-year analysis, design, and development initiative where the best features of similar web sites around the country were identified and implemented. 

FAYETTE COUNTY PVA DAVID O’NEILL APPOINTED TO COMMUNITY ACTION COUNCIL

Fayette County PVA David O’Neill has been appointed to the Community Action Council board of directors by Mayor Jim Gray. His appointment was approved by Lexington-Fayette County Urban Government Council on June 23, 2011, for a term that will expire December 31, 2014.

Community Action Council is a member of the Community Action Partnership, a national organization that fights poverty on the local level. “I am humbled by the opportunity to further serve Fayette County and its residents. I look forward to working toward positive solutions to the problems facing those most in need,” said Fayette County PVA David O’Neill upon his appointment.

This is not O’Neill’s first board appointment in Fayette County. In 2003, he was appointed by Mayor Isaac to serve on the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Greenspace Commission.

For further information, visit www.commaction.org.

FAYETTE COUNTY PVA OFFICE TO REMAIN OPEN DESPITE FURLOUGHS

The Fayette County PVA Office will remain open despite state office furloughs, Friday, May 27. This Friday concludes the six furlough days implemented by Governor Steve Beshear as a budget balancing measure.

“Memorial Day weekend is typically the kickoff for boating and camping season. I anticipate our office will be busy with phone calls and visits from those seeking assistance in licensing boats and travel trailers for use over the holiday weekend,” said Fayette County PVA David O’Neill. “Our office will do everything it can to ensure the residents of Fayette County are not inconvenienced by the state furlough.”

Although Fayette County PVA David O’Neill will remain on the job in the PVA office, he will be without the full complement of 25 deputies. Most routine work performed by the office will be suspended, but critical functions will continue. Mr. O’Neill has remained on the job during each of the six furlough days during the 2011 fiscal year, which began on July 1, 2010.

FAYETTE COUNTY PVA OFFICE TO REMAIN OPEN DESPITE FURLOUGHS

The Fayette County PVA Office will remain open despite furloughs for nearly all state employees effectively closing state government Friday, September 3, 2010.

Fayette County PVA David O’Neill will remain on the job in the PVA office, but without the full complement of 25 deputy PVAs. Most work performed by the office will be suspended, but routine functions will continue.

“Unlike my staff, my pay will remain the same whether the office is open or not, and I do not believe it would be fair to the taxpayers to close the office,” said O’Neill. “I expect it to be like any other day with phone calls and visits from taxpayers, and I’ll do my best to respond to their needs.”

Friday, September 3, 2010 will be the first of six mandatory furlough days that nearly all executive branch employees must take during fiscal year 2011, which began July 1, 2010. PVA office staff members are considered executive branch employees and subject to the furloughs. However, PVAs are elected officials whose salaries are established by statute and therefore cannot be furloughed by the Governor’s order.

“My goal is to minimize the impact of the furloughs on the public and other county and municipal government offices that rely on our expertise,” said Mr. O’Neill. “Please accept my apologies for any delay you may experience Friday, and join me in recognizing the huge financial sacrifice being made by my staff and other state employees.”

FAYETTE COUNTY PVA RECEIVES SIGNOFF ON 2010 TAX ROLL, URGES TAXING JURISDICTIONS TO RESIST TAX RATE HIKES

(Lexington, KY) – Fayette County Property Valuation Administrator (PVA) David O’Neill today announced the completion and certification of the 2010 Property Tax Roll, which includes a modest 1% increase in the overall tax base from one year ago.

“I would hope the citizens of Fayette County view the news of stable property rolls as positive,” O’Neill said. However, he urges the taxing jurisdictions—including Fayette County Public Schools and Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government—to adjust their financial statements for a basically flat revenue stream and resist the urge to raise tax rates.

“Your PVA staff worked hard to sustain the health of the tax roll and administer fair and equitable assessments during a challenging economic climate, and your revenue stream from property taxes is intact. But the modest increase year-over-year should not be misconstrued as an indicator that our taxpayers and local economy would tolerate a tax increase.”

Certification of the tax roll by the Department of Revenue initiates the process by which various taxing jurisdictions will set their tax rates. The Department of Revenue annually certifies each county’s tax roll, effectively providing official state approval on the PVA offices’ property assessments.

The Fayette County tax roll was certified on July 19 for a total equalized assessment of real estate in the amount of $22.3 billion, compared to $22.07 billion certified in 2009. For 2010, no properties received increased assessments except those that were sold or improved.

David O’Neill was appointed by Governor Steve Beshear on February 11, 2009 to fill the unexpired term of Fayette County PVA. The Kentucky Constitution designates the PVA offices as the administrators of “ad valorem” taxes, including residential, tangible and commercial property taxes as well as setting taxable values on vehicles and watercraft. The Fayette PVA Office is dedicated to assessing property in the most fair, equitable and timely manner possible.