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Board of Assessors Has More Resignations
Last Wednesday Jim
Harrell, Chair of the Board of Assessors, turned in his
resignation. Gerald Bramblett followed suit on Thursday. This
leaves the Board of Assessors without a quorum—and only one
certified assessor. It is also rumored that David Kelly, appointed
in January, will also submit his resignation. Linda Tinsley has not
been certified as of this date.
Why all the
resignations? Could it have anything to do with the political
interference in the BOA office? The law states that politics is
supposed to stay out of property assessments; therefore, the BOC has
little authority over the Board of Assessors office. The recent
Board of Assessors has worked to upgrade the office and correct
problems; however, we speculate the Board members are tired of
fighting the politics and conflicts with the BOC.
Other problems in
that office include many visitors during the day that interrupt the
work that is supposed to be done. In particular two
former assessors (not the ones that just resigned) seem to be
permanent fixtures in Brac Bohannon’s office. Is it any wonder that
Mr. Bohannon, the Chief Appraiser, just can’t seem to keep the work
in the office up to date? Work is not the priority in the office.
The Chief Appraiser is the one responsible for what does and doesn’t
go on.
After review of
the 2005 digest and comparing it to the 2003 and 2004 digests, we
find several areas of questionable values and missing properties.
There are some significant errors in the digest that have been
brought to light in recent weeks.
It is time the BOC
quit playing politics with that office and appoint people that are
willing to serve and get the job done. Jasper County is known
State-wide for its Assessors office and all the problems that have
been going on for YEARS. In the past the digest has come in under
30 (the law requires 38-42), the State has fined the county and put
it on sanctions, and there has been continued turmoil in the
office. To say that the Jasper County office is a laughing stock
might be an understatement. The Assessors board has some hard
decisions to make and they must be made without continued
interference from members of the BOC.
To serve as an
Assessor one must become certified by taking a 40 hour class,
passing the test, and then taking 20 hours a year to keep the
certification. If you are interested, please contact the BOC.
TWG
The time is
always right to do what is right. ~Martin Luther King Jr.
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