The Marin County Tax Collector’s Office is using new technology to speed and improve the age-old government challenge of property tax collection, reducing errors in the process.
The county recently launched an AI pilot program to modernize land deed review with existing technology in the hopes of reducing errors and saving staff time.
The pilot used Microsoft Power Automate, SharePoint and Excel to quickly identify parcels that needed expert review just weeks ahead of the Assessor’s roll deadline.
The impetus for the project centered on the discovery of a classification issue with homeowners’ association common area parcels, which are not subject to property tax collection, and prompted officials to conduct a broader review for other errors.
“By starting small and applying AI as a support tool — not a decision-maker — we were able to address a real operational challenge without the risk or cost of a large technology project,” Treasurer/Tax Collector and Director of the Department of Finance Mina Martinovich said in a statement.
All told, the pilot cost about $40 and achieved 99 percent accuracy in reviewing some 1,500 documents. What’s more, the process created in the pilot project created reusable low-code workflows and digitized deed data that can be used for future reviews.
“This pilot demonstrated how AI can be used responsibly and effectively to support staff, improve accuracy and protect the public,” Martinovich said.
Officials noted the project also gave staff valuable exposure to AI technology, offering a glimpse at its capabilities and where it might be baked into other county processes in the future.
“The AI pilot reflects a broader commitment to innovation, accuracy and the smart use of technology in government, demonstrating how targeted experimentation can deliver meaningful results in a short time frame,” Information Services and Technology Assistant Director Supriya Menon said in a statement.
The county is no stranger to taking novel approaches to the daily operational challenges facing government. In December, the county completed its first 90-day Digital Accelerator cohort, which focused on making rapid, tailored changes to the system used by the planning and permitting division.
Marin County Turns to AI to ID Property Tax Errors
After identifying a property tax classification error, Marin County launched a pilot project that uses AI to search for other potential errors. Officials say the $40 pilot project has an accuracy rate of around 99 percent.
