Tony Lindauer, longtime Jefferson County PVA, under state investigation

Darcy Costello | Courier Journal

Tony Lindauer, Jefferson County’s longtime property valuation administrator, is under investigation by a state office that oversees equal employment opportunity and contract compliance.

State officials confirmed to the Courier Journal on Wednesday there is an ongoing investigation into Lindauer but declined to elaborate on the nature of the allegations made against him. His chief of staff, who is now running to succeed him, also confirmed the investigation.

The probe is being conducted by the state’s Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Contract Compliance, which oversees equal opportunity programs that include affirmative action, Title VI and the Americans with Disabilities Act. It also investigates complaints of discrimination and sexual harassment and monitors contract compliance.

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The office's executive director, Yvette Smith, notified Lindauer of the investigation in a letter dated March 7 that was obtained by Courier Journal through an open records request. The Department of Revenue asked the EEOC for "assistance to investigate an anonymous complaint concerning your office," according to the letter.

"In the coming days, you may expect requests for information and access to records and employees," Smith wrote. "The Cabinet respectfully requests your assistance to accommodate my office's investigation."

Colleen Younger, Lindauer’s top aide, said she is cooperating with state investigators and said the report on Lindauer could be finalized in the next week. She declined to answer further questions.

“It’s premature for me to comment,” Younger told the Courier Journal on Wednesday.

Lindauer, a Democrat, did not return voicemails left by the Courier Journal.

Earlier this year, Lindauer announced he was not seeking reelection to the office he has held for a dozen years. He attributed the decision to health and family reasons, adding that he looked forward to retiring with his wife and spending time with family.

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“I hope you believe as I do that we have accomplished good things for the PVA and the taxpayers of Jefferson County,” Lindauer wrote in February. “My public service as your PVA has given me and my family great memories and has created what I hope to be a strong legacy in the years to come.”

Younger declared her run for the PVA job after Lindauer’s announcement. She’s running as a Democrat against appraiser John May, a Republican, in November’s PVA election.

The PVA assesses how much each property owner owes in taxes that are paid to the state, school district and metro government or suburban fire districts. Lindauer makes $124,113.84, according to a database of public salaries.

Lindauer’s office has generated controversy in recent months for its valuations of Republican Gov. Matt Bevin’s Anchorage mansion. In April, Lindauer’s office set the value for 2018 tax purposes at $2.9 million, based largely on an outside appraisal it obtained from local appraiser Otto Spence.

Bevin has appealed that value to a three-member board that hears appeals of PVA values.

Last August, that appeals board accepted an appraisal on a 19-acre tract of land that included Bevin’s property. That appraisal set a value of $2.15 million on the 19-acre tract, which the board accepted. The appraisal also valued Bevin’s property, including his mansion and 10 of the acres, at $1.39 million.

That $1.39 million value is what Bevin is asking the appeals board to accept this year.

Bevin bought the house and 10 acres in March 2017 for $1.6 million from Neil Ramsey, a political supporter of the governor and the head of an investment management company.

Reports in the Courier Journal a year ago noted that the sales price was low compared to previous values set by the PVA’s office when the property was part of the 19-acre tract.

Background: Value of Matt Bevin's Anchorage mansion again debated before board

Lindauer and his office also drew fire in 2015 from homeowners upset over skyrocketing valuations. A lawsuit by a former employee claimed his office was not physically examining taxable properties in accordance with state law.

Lindauer defended his methods, citing use digital mapping programs in addition to field exams. A review by the Kentucky attorney general’s office found the practice to be legal.

Darcy Costello: 502-582-4834; dcostello@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @dctello. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: www.courier-journal.com/darcyc.