Appraisal district using Google to survey hidden structures

EDINBURG — The Hidalgo County Appraisal District added a new meaning to the term "Google it."

Troubled by their inability to appraise structures locked out of sight behind closed gates, district employees are using Google Earth to survey privately owned farm and ranch land for structures they can't see from the road.

Google Earth, a product of the Internet behemoth, provides a bird's-eye view of the world compiled from satellite images and aerial photos.

The idea to use Google Earth to survey rural property came from a South Texas College class that included Jorge Gonzalez, the district's real estate supervisor.

As part of STC's resource management course, Gonzalez and four other classmates determined the district could save the $25,000 it planned to spend on aerial photography and computer upgrades to process high-altitude photos.

Instead, the district determined it could buy the $400 premium subscription to Google Earth Pro, which provides higher-resolution images, the option to import property lists and other services not provided in the free version.

Guadalupe Navarro, the assistant chief appraiser, said the savings from using Google Earth were not as important as the increased valuations for almost 50 taxing entities in the county.

"The big picture is the increase in revenue for the school districts and the counties," Navarro said.

The appraisal district began using Google Earth in its daily operations early this year, Gonzalez said. The new valuations won't be taxed until this fall, so figures for how much new property was found are not yet available.

Once appraisers in the field determine they can't accurately survey a plot of land from the road, they use Google Earth to check the property for hidden structures.

Appraisers use tools that allow them to measure anything from acreage on a lot to square feet in a house to get an approximate value for the structure, Gonzalez said. Landowners are then mailed notices explaining the increased valuations.

Property owners who question the images will be offered the option of allowing the appraiser onto their land to get a new assessment.

Images from Google Earth are updated within three years, which works for rural surveying, Gonzalez said. Surveying urban areas and new buildings will still be done in person.

Brad Altemeyer, the STC professor who led the class, said Google Earth allows the district to fairly appraise the entire county.

The project is slated to be entered in a contest sponsored by the nonprofit organization Students in Free Enterprise, under the ethics category.

"It's really about quality control," Gonzalez said. "We're trying to do the best job possible with what information" is available.

____

Jared Janes covers Hidalgo County government, Edinburg and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4424.