The two candidates in this year’s assessor race each tout their years of experience as property appraisers, one in the private sector and the other as a nearly 30-year employee at the Summit County Assessor’s Office.
The assessor is responsible for determining the value of homes and commercial real estate for tax purposes in Summit County. This year, Summit County Assessor Barbara Kresser is retiring, which leaves the seat open for the first time in decades.
The Republican in the race, Pinebrook resident Rob Hunt has been a certified appraiser for about eight years. He owns his own appraisal company in the Park City area.
The Democrat vying for assessor, Oakley resident Steve Martin has been an appraiser in the Summit County Assessor’s Office for more than 29 years.
Hunt said his experience in the private sector has shown him many areas where the Summit County Assessor’s Office could improve.
“I’m hoping to bring the values and the expectations from the private sector into the assessor office,” he said.
Many property owners might be closely watching the assessor race this year after thousands of people in Summit County appealed their tax notices last year.
The new assessor must do a better job determining the value of homes to prevent an onslaught of tax appeals each year, Hunt said.
“People have come to me and they have said they don’t understand why their value has gone down but their assessed value has gone up. Everybody knows that the market has been on a continual decline since ’06,” Hunt said. “The reason that happens is because they are not appraising the properties as often as the market mandates.”
At least 20 percent of the real estate in Summit County annually undergoes detailed reappraisals. But Hunt said more properties need to be closely examined each year.
“With the market knowledge that I bring to the office I think that you will find that you have better values and more consistent values,” Hunt said.
The Assessor’s Office should attempt to reappraise every piece of property in the county each year.
“If that is totally impossible then I will accept that once I’m in the office,” Hunt said. “I believe the work can get done provided they have the right leadership and the right direction.”
County officials base their annual assessments on the value of the property on Jan. 1. But tax notices are not sent out until the summer.
“That is a legitimate concern for the assessor office and it is a legitimate concern for homeowners,” Hunt said. “What I would like to see is better leadership in educating the team that is over at the assessor office and helping them understand better how to derive value on a more consistent basis.”
But Martin explained that state law strictly defines how many of the assessor’s duties must be carried out. Martin is a senior appraiser who supervises several Summit County Assessor’s Office employees.
“Most of what [Hunt] is concerned with is statutory,” Martin said.
The law requires basing the annual assessments on property values Jan. 1, he said.
“The only information we have is from the previous year. So we’re always lagging a year behind,” Martin said. “It’s always that lag that really bothers people A majority of our job is really just educating the public.”
Though state law requires a minimum of 20 percent of the county be reappraised annually, Martin said the Summit County Assessor’s Office closely examines nearly 70 percent of the properties each year.
“There is a constant review of properties,” Martin said.
Hunt’s criticism of the process may indicate his lack of familiarity with how the Assessor’s Office operates, Martin said.
“The status quo to a certain extent is the status quo because it is mandated by state law,” he said. “That status quo is going to continue to a certain extent because that is what you have to do.”
Kresser has offered to explain the duties of the assessor to Hunt, Martin said.
“I don’t think [Hunt] has ever been over here,” Martin said. “I think he has heard a lot of it from the Internet and conversations with other people A majority of people don’t know or have a poor idea about what the county assessor does — what it can or can’t do.”
Martin said he has worked closely with Kresser since she was elected about 20 years ago.
“If you don’t know how a ship runs, how can you drive a ship?” Martin asked. “I haven’t run it but I’ve been the first mate.”
He blamed the economic downturn for the increase in tax appeals over the past few years.
“The number of appeals seems huge, but it directly reflects the economy,” Martin said.
He said his candidacy is supported by many department heads and elected officials in the County Courthouse.
“It’s been very, very positive,” Martin said. “The people who we deal with, like the treasurer and the auditor and the clerk, are all very positive about the possibility of me becoming assessor.”