Marion County Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals Meeting – July 24, 2026

The Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals (PTABOA) for Marion County, Indiana, convened on July 24, 2026, at the City-County Building in Indianapolis. The board reviewed a large agenda of property tax appeals, exemptions, and other business, including a presentation on the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) program and a summary of new state property tax laws. Several property owners and representatives appeared in person to argue their cases.

Call to Order and Administrative Items

• The meeting was called to order at approximately 2:15 PM. Board members present: Joe O'Connor (County Assessor, non-voting secretary), Greg Rath, Kathy Gould, Steve Adrian (president), Kevin Robinson.
• Minutes from the previous meeting were approved unanimously.

Late Filing Approval and Discussion: Broad Ripple Property (Parcel 8045435)

• Speaker: Todd Rosenbutt, owner of property at 6528 Cornell Avenue (IndyScene Inc.). The property's assessed value jumped from $313,800 (2024) to $693,000 (2025) due to a cost-table update; the owner argued the income approach would support a lower value ($500,000–$600,000). The appeal was filed nine days late because the county had an incorrect California mailing address. The owner requested a 2025 appeal instead of 2026.
• Board Action: Accepted the late filing (motion carried) and tabled the assessment to allow staff and the owner to negotiate a value for 2025. The owner was advised to check for objective errors on the property record card that could allow a retroactive adjustment.

Discussion Item: Willie Ferrell – 20-Unit Apartment Complex (Parcel 1099711)

• Speaker: Willie Ferrell, owner of 2419 Hobart Road (apartments). The 2025 assessment was $931,400; Ferrell argued it should be $130,000 (the 2024 level after a 90% obsolescence adjustment). The county assessor removed the obsolescence due to new law requiring cost/income/sales approach, and offered $600,000. Ferrell stated his net income is about $5,000 per month after expenses, and he believed the property is worth about $300,000–$350,000.
• Board Action: Motion to table for 30 days to allow the owner to obtain an appraisal or provide documented evidence of value. The next hearing is August 28, 2026.

Correction: West Ohio II Property Owner LLC (Parcel 1012122, 101 W Ohio St)

• Speaker: Brett Auberry, attorney for the taxpayer. Noted a clerical error on the agenda: for the 2025 tax year, the improvement value should be $16,027,300 (total $17,972,700); for 2026, improvement value should be $15,835,700 (total $17,781,100). The errors stemmed from an overstatement on the draft 134 form for 2025 and a transposition for 2026.
• Board Action: Approved the correction unanimously.

Exemption Request: Near East Area Renewal / Shepherd Community Center (Parcel 1105843)

• Speakers: Emily Scott (Executive Director, Near East Area Renewal) and Jay Height (Shepherd Community Center). Requesting a charitable exemption for a daycare operated by Shepherd in a former IPS school at 3734 E Vermont St. The daycare opened in August 2020 but an earlier exemption filing (2021) was denied because the space was still a white box. The property is owned by the nonprofit CDC and used entirely for childcare (50–70 children, ages 4 weeks to 4 years). They requested an exemption for 2026 and retroactive to 2021.
• Board Action: Approved the exemption for 2026 and, under the authority to go back three years, granted retroactive exemption back to the 2023 tax year (pay 2024). The motion carried.

Other Business

• PILOT Program Presentation: Staff presented the city’s PILOT (Payments in Lieu of Taxes) program for Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) projects. Explained the application process, thresholds, scored priorities, and timeline. The board noted they are the final step in granting exemptions for these projects.
• Summary of New Property Tax Laws (2026): Presented by staff, including the 10% homestead credit (capped at $300), phased homestead deduction (to 66.7% by 2031), business personal property exemption threshold raised to $2 million, new rental/non-homestead deduction, ag assessment changes ($125 million savings over 3 years), disabled veteran deduction removed value cap, and new transparency requirements (mandatory mailing of tax bills, comparative charts). Also noted that nonprofit daycares can get 100% charitable exemption, while for-profit daycares are limited to ages 4–6 for educational exemption.

Key Outcomes

• Late filing accepted for parcel 8045435; assessment tabled for owner-staff negotiation.
• Willie Ferrell appeal tabled to August 28 for owner to provide an appraisal or income/expense documentation.
• Correction approved for West Ohio II (parcel 1012122) for 2025 and 2026 values.
• Exemption granted for Near East Area Renewal/Shepherd Community Center daycare for 2026 and retroactive to tax year 2023.
• Bulk approvals: Pages 1–26 (with one table), pages 27–104 (with several abstentions and one table), hearing officer recommendations pages 105–169 (with one table), withdrawals pages 170–210, exemptions pages 211–256 (with two tables) were all approved by separate motions.
• Next meeting: August 28, 2026.