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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Cleveland County Equalization Board Special Meeting - July 31, 2026

Board of County Commissioners & Boards — Friday, July 31, 2026

BodyCleveland County, Oklahoma

SessionBoard of County Commissioners & Boards

DateFriday, July 31, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:12:46

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:44

A cap would apply that from the why you do have to run around and give you less of anywhere.

0:52

We're still next to the five.

1:07

Yeah, I'll just try to do like a business thing, and then it's hard to get through some at all.

1:15

I don't know.

1:20

Thank you.

1:21

I appreciate that.

1:29

Yeah, just release the year or that maybe over next year.

1:38

Um then whatever happens there, uh someone will be able to do the frame goal.

1:51

Yeah.

1:52

Yes, that's something that's the first one.

1:56

Yeah.

2:00

Okay.

2:10

Okay.

2:41

This was your assignment.

2:44

Uh no, she put it up there.

2:45

I think these both of these things are here's all that.

2:56

Thank you so much.

3:12

Um I can't even need my phone.

4:00

Uh so we should be able to actually uh correction.

4:20

Okay.

4:43

Um order this meeting where it was scheduled.

4:57

Special weekend is from July thirty first, twenty twenty-six.

5:11

We have a quorum doses to me was properly functional on July 28, 2026.

5:17

And the first time we business today's approval approvals of the equalization board held on July uh 24th.

5:30

Student prior review.

5:36

Second time to get a question to comments in that motion.

5:40

No.

5:41

No, please call the calls.

5:42

Thompson, motion carrying.

5:50

Possible action regarding formal appeals of goods and this is for property at 156 Charles Street here in London.

6:01

And uh 5156.

6:05

So the pictures are on the house, obviously.

6:22

Okay, I'm protesting my property taxes and the fair market value that's it is set at.

6:32

I bought the house 20 years ago, and it had not been updated.

6:39

Most of the houses, all 1969 original bathrooms, plumbing, electricity, electrical outlets are all shot throughout the house.

6:50

Plumbing has collapsed in the wall in my utility room behind the wall in the master in the major bathroom.

6:59

Uh in the behind the sink in the master bathroom.

7:04

It's just a small half-bathroom.

7:06

There's only one sink in the entire house that can be used right now, and that's the kitchen sink.

7:12

I haven't been able to use my utility room because that whole wall has filled with water, collapsed, flooded, the pipes are like I said, 1969.

7:23

Um bought the house because risk for a therapist worked when I was suffered a severe injury, was 100% disabled months after I bought the house, so there haven't been any updates on my end.

7:40

The only thing that has happened was in 201 we had a severe storm, hailstorm that did over $60,000 in damage to the house.

7:52

Of course, the insurance I had would only cover so much of the repairs, so I did get a new roof because it was half blown off, but um most of the rest of it wasn't taken care of.

8:05

I got one new garage door.

8:06

I mean, it's just uh just how it was.

8:10

It's just a bad situation.

8:12

When I purchased the house, it had not been updated when it I bought it.

8:18

It was updated when they purchased it decades before I purchased the house.

8:24

So all the tile, the cabinetry, all the way to the 1969 dishwasher.

8:31

I mean, it's I have no money to pay for all the updates because I have to spend every last dime I have to save for these taxes.

8:41

And I was told that this was frozen by the assessor that called me, yet they told me in the office that it wasn't frozen until I was after until after my 66th birthday because the date.

8:59

So this appears to me to be the only time to correct this issue.

9:06

I've not been able in good health to come and object these prices, and I had really very little knowledge, but the more I've looked, the homes that my house was compared to were all updated and sold.

9:21

Mine is not done either one.

9:23

The only reason my house is increased like this is because I paid the mortgage off and my mother died.

9:29

That's the only reason I was able to do that.

9:32

And that was you know, for security, and now I don't have that security.

9:38

Y'all my taxes must be paid every year.

9:41

They're they don't wait.

9:43

But I don't have that kind of income.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Property Assessment█████████████████████████████████33%

Pending Litigation██████████████████████████████30%

Property Tax Assessment████████████████16%

Procedural████████████████16%

Miscellaneous█████5%

Summary of Proceedings

Cleveland County Equalization Board Special Meeting - July 31, 2026

The Cleveland County Board of Equalization held a special meeting on July 31, 2026, at 10:00 AM in Norman, Oklahoma. The board considered three formal appeals: two residential property assessments and one commercial property assessment. The meeting included testimony from property owners, an agent, the assessor's office, and board deliberation. Votes were taken on all agenda items.

Consent Calendar

Approval of Minutes: The board unanimously approved the minutes from the special meeting held on July 24, 2026. (Motion by Vice-Chairman Josh Edge (absent), seconded, carried.)

Public Comments & Testimony

Nancy Anderson-Owen (Item 2) testified on her property at 1516 Charles Street, Norman. She described severe disrepair (original 1969 plumbing, electrical, and structure), damage from a hailstorm, and lack of funds for updates. She argued the assessed fair market value of $178,628 was too high and that her home could not sell for that amount. She stated she had been told the senior freeze would not apply until after her 66th birthday, but later learned it had already been applied. Her testimony included emotional distress over property taxes.
Gary Plante (Item 3), trustee for the Michele Lee Plante Irrevocable Trust, argued for a lower market value of $750,000 for the property at 550 60th Avenue SE, Norman. He contended that the assessor's comparable sales (comps) were not equal to his property due to differences in exterior (vinyl siding vs. brick), location (busy 60th Street), and the presence of a floodplain and outbuildings. He presented alternative comps and replacement cost estimates.
Assessor's Office (via Chief Appraiser Russell Cronester) presented data for each appeal. For Item 2, they noted the current market value of $178,628, a $4,038 increase from 2025, and that the taxpayer had been approved for the senior freeze, which would limit future increases. For Item 3, they valued the property at $865,402, including a pool house and detached garages, and noted that the owner had declined previous on-site inspection requests. They argued that brick vs. vinyl had minimal impact and that location was a positive. For Item 4 (phone call), the assessor's office had requested appraisal data from the appellant, which had not been provided.
Wyatt Swinford (Item 4), agent for The Icon at Norman Apartments, LP, participated by phone. He noted ongoing litigation and a recent summary judgment ruling in Cleveland County (Judge Virgin) ordering reinstatement of a cap on taxable fair cash value for 2024, which he argued should link forward to 2026. He stated they had not provided appraisals because they were not yet due in the court case, and he disputed the assessor's request for appraisal information.

Discussion Items

Item 2 (Nancy Anderson-Owen): After testimony, board member John Wullich recommended reducing the market value to $150,000, citing knowledge of similar-condition homes in the area. The board agreed this was a reasonable adjustment given the property's condition. The motion passed unanimously.
Item 3 (Gary Plante): The board discussed differences in exterior (vinyl vs. brick), outbuildings, and the lack of an interior inspection due to owner's refusal. Chief Appraiser Cronester noted the assessor's office had asked to inspect but were turned away. Chairman Thompson and Member Wullich considered a modest adjustment for exterior, but the owner preferred to rely on his presentation. They also discussed the possibility of scheduling an on-site visit, but the board's statutory session ended on July 31, making a reinspection and return meeting difficult. Ultimately, the board voted to uphold the current assessor's value of $865,402. The motion passed unanimously.
Item 4 (The Icon at Norman Apartments, LP): The board heard updates on the ongoing litigation regarding the property. The appellant argued that the court's ruling on the cap for 2024 should apply to 2026, but the assessor's office indicated they would appeal that ruling. The board considered the lack of provided appraisal data and the unresolved legal issues. Chairman Thompson noted the board would defer to the court process. The board voted to maintain the assessor's value as presented, pending court outcomes. The motion passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

Item 2: Approved a motion to adjust the fair market value of 1516 Charles Street from $178,628 to $150,000. (Motion by Member Wullich, seconded by Chairman Thompson, carried unanimously.)
Item 3: Approved a motion to hold the assessor's value of $865,402 for 550 60th Avenue SE. (Motion by Member Wullich, seconded by Chairman Thompson, carried unanimously.)
Item 4: Approved a motion to follow the assessor's statement and keep the property value as assessed for The Icon at Norman Apartments, with the understanding that ongoing litigation would determine final values. (Motion by Member Wullich, seconded by Chairman Thompson, carried unanimously.)
The meeting adjourned at approximately 11:15 AM. The board thanked staff and the assessor's office for their work.

Meeting Transcript

A cap would apply that from the why you do have to run around and give you less of anywhere. We're still next to the five. Yeah, I'll just try to do like a business thing, and then it's hard to get through some at all. I don't know. Thank you. I appreciate that. Yeah, just release the year or that maybe over next year. Um then whatever happens there, uh someone will be able to do the frame goal. Yeah. Yes, that's something that's the first one. Yeah. Okay. Okay. This was your assignment. Uh no, she put it up there. I think these both of these things are here's all that. Thank you so much. Um I can't even need my phone. Uh so we should be able to actually uh correction. Okay. Um order this meeting where it was scheduled. Special weekend is from July thirty first, twenty twenty-six. We have a quorum doses to me was properly functional on July 28, 2026. And the first time we business today's approval approvals of the equalization board held on July uh 24th. Student prior review. Second time to get a question to comments in that motion. No. No, please call the calls. Thompson, motion carrying. Possible action regarding formal appeals of goods and this is for property at 156 Charles Street here in London. And uh 5156. So the pictures are on the house, obviously. Okay, I'm protesting my property taxes and the fair market value that's it is set at. I bought the house 20 years ago, and it had not been updated. Most of the houses, all 1969 original bathrooms, plumbing, electricity, electrical outlets are all shot throughout the house. Plumbing has collapsed in the wall in my utility room behind the wall in the master in the major bathroom. Uh in the behind the sink in the master bathroom. It's just a small half-bathroom. There's only one sink in the entire house that can be used right now, and that's the kitchen sink. I haven't been able to use my utility room because that whole wall has filled with water, collapsed, flooded, the pipes are like I said, 1969. Um bought the house because risk for a therapist worked when I was suffered a severe injury, was 100% disabled months after I bought the house, so there haven't been any updates on my end. The only thing that has happened was in 201 we had a severe storm, hailstorm that did over $60,000 in damage to the house. Of course, the insurance I had would only cover so much of the repairs, so I did get a new roof because it was half blown off, but um most of the rest of it wasn't taken care of. I got one new garage door. I mean, it's just uh just how it was. It's just a bad situation. When I purchased the house, it had not been updated when it I bought it. It was updated when they purchased it decades before I purchased the house. So all the tile, the cabinetry, all the way to the 1969 dishwasher. I mean, it's I have no money to pay for all the updates because I have to spend every last dime I have to save for these taxes.

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