Bryan County Board of Equalization v. Bryan County Board of Tax Assessors

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Bryan County Board of Equalization vs. Bryan County Board of Tax Assessors Number: 253 Ga.App. 831 Year: 2001 State: Georgia Court: {{{Court}}} Other lawsuits in Georgia Other lawsuits in 2001 Precedents include:

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Bryan County Board of Equalization v. Bryan County Board of Tax Assessors was a case before the Georgia Supreme Court in 2001 concerning open meetings law and their applicability to municipalities.

Background

Bryan County Bd. of Equalization v. Bryan County Bd. of Tax Assessors , 253 Ga.App. 831 (2001) (Andrews, J.): The Bryan County Board of Equalization held an open hearing to obtain evidence regarding a dispute over property value. The Board, however, closed the meeting to the public when it began its deliberations. The Board claimed that its deliberations were a quasi judicial function and, therefore, entitled to be in private.

The Court of Appeals ruled against the Board noting that the Open Meetings Act applies to al meetings of the Board. In response to the Board's claim that they were undertaking a quasi judicial function, the Court held: “We realize that ‘openness in sensitive proceedings is sometimes unpleasant, difficult, and occasionally harmful. Nevertheless, the policy of this state is that the public's business must be open.'”