Responsibilities

Annually the Board of Supervisors shall appoint not less than 28 residents of the county and the names of such persons shall be placed on a list and they shall be eligible to serve as members. One fourth (1/4) of the persons appointed shall be owner-operators of agricultural property; one fourth (1/4) shall be owners of city property; one fourth (1/4) shall be licensed real estate salespersons or real estate brokers; and one fourth (1/4) shall be persons having knowledge of property values in the county by reason of their occupation, such as bankers, auctioneers, property manager, property appraisers and persons responsible for making loans on property.

This board's duty is to appraise property that a government is purchasing under eminent domain law. The property owner and the government are at conflict over the terms of the purchase and this board reports its findings to the district judge.  

The Commission only meets when written application has been filed with the Chief Judge of the Judicial District of the County where the land sought to be condemned is located. The Chief Judge of the judicial district or the judge’s designee shall select by lot six (6) people from the above list; if agricultural land is to be condemned then two (2) from the group of agricultural property owners; if the land to be condemned is city, then two (2) from the group of city property owners, then two (2) from each of the remaining groups. These six (6) persons shall constitute a compensation commission to assess the damages to all property to be taken by the applicant and located in the county and the Chief Judge shall name a chairperson from the persons elected. The Chief Judge or judge’s designee may appoint such alternate members and chairpersons to the commission as are deemed necessary and appropriate under the circumstances. A person shall not be selected as a member or alternate member of the compensation commission if the person possesses any interest in the proceedings which would cause the person to render a biased decision.