Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, “Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society.”  I think most of us would agree… provided that the tax in question is levied in a fair and equitable manner. Citizens who feel they are being taxed fairly tend to feel good about their government and do not begrudge paying their fair share of taxes. Conversely, nothing can undermine citizens’ trust in government more quickly than the feeling they are being treated differently from their neighbor in terms of their property tax assessment. 

That’s why the role of the Assessor is so important. Granted, the Assessor doesn’t set the tax rate. Nor does he calculate or collect your taxes.  He does, however, hold the solemn responsibility to appraise and assess all property—residential, commercial, or industrial; real or personal—fairly and equitably. 

In doing so, I’ve developed five basic principles or “beliefs” as to how this will be accomplished 

1. I believe every taxpayer has the right to be greeted courteously and treated the same -- whether you own one property or one hundred, whether you’re an individual homeowner or a developer, a stay-at-home mom with a home-based business or a corporate CEO. I am a public servant, and if you are a taxpayer you have a right to my time and attention.
2. I believe that effective communication empowers and informs; that’s why we will continue to use our web site, printed materials, news media, and other outreach methods to help taxpayers understand the appraisal process and to provide meaningful opportunity for interaction and input.  We also stress continuing education for our employees so that we can help you more effectively.
3. I believe a taxpayer who has a complaint should always be given the benefit of the doubt. If you believe a mistake has been made, I will assume you are right unless and until I’ve done the research and can clearly show otherwise.
4. I believe appealing an assessment is an important and fundamental right of every taxpayer. If we’ve discussed your case and you’re still convinced we got it wrong, I will never discourage you from filing an appeal to the County Board of Equalization. Though the Board heard just one formal appeal in 2007, I consider that a positive sign only if it means taxpayers feel they’ve been treated fairly, as opposed to feeling intimidated by the appeals process. 
5. I believe taxpayers should be granted every consideration allowed by law when it comes to cutting through bureaucratic red tape, such as filling out forms in a complete, accurate, and timely manner.  Our real property and personal property specialists are always willing and able to work with you to make sure you have the forms and instructions you need to remain in full compliance with state and local regulations. We want you to know, you are not in this alone; we are here to serve.