Jones County interviews Board of Tax Assessors candidates as commissioners debate reassessment, staffing and possible removal of chief appraiser

Jones County commissioners held a work session on Jan. 14 to interview candidates for vacant seats on the Board of Tax Assessors while debating how to respond to a multiyear shortfall in the county's sales-ratio target and persistent complaints about office morale and procedures.

The interviews, led by County Administrator Jason Reznor, featured three candidates and multiple commissioners pressing for details about staffing, reassessments and whether the county should move to replace the chief appraiser or board members before a state peer review of the assessor's office is complete. No formal personnel actions were taken during the session.

Candidates, the board and members of the public focused on three linked issues: the county's sales-ratio numbers versus the state's target, whether a countywide reassessment or changes in WinGAP (the appraisal software) should be used, and internal personnel or morale problems inside the tax assessor's office.

The immediate trigger for the discussion was state data showing Jones County below the state's recommended assessment ratio band. Commissioners and interviewees repeatedly cited the state’s target range — generally described in the meeting as roughly 36%–44% — and a cited county measurement near 31% in recent reports. Commissioners said the shortfall has meant lost revenue and repeated concerns about uniformity of assessments.

"Fairness is obviously the the basis of sentencing, and so the fairness is what struck me in all of this for the taxation, principles," one candidate said in describing why she sought the appointment to the Board of Tax Assessors. Another candidate, Justin Kelly, said his private-sector experience valuing business property and operating staff made him a practical choice to help restore confidence. Kelly said, "I own the Dairy Queen in Gray... I feel like I can offer my service... by making common sense decisions and uniting the board."

Former county appraiser Andrea (who worked in the assessor's office for more than two decades) told commissioners she had direct experience with field work, new-construction permits and WinGAP entries and urged accuracy in the county's parcel data. Asked whether the county could simply set a uniform square-foot value of $120 (a figure cited in the meeting as a state-recommended benchmark), Andrea said, "If your information, your data on all your parcels are correct, yes. You can do that," and cautioned that inaccurate parcel data or extensive overrides would limit that approach.

Commissioners pressed candidates about operational steps they would take if appointed: cross-training staff, ensuring monthly cycle-based workflows are followed, communicating changes to taxpayers in plain language and using both digital and paper notices to reach older residents.

Public comment at the end of the session urged caution. Gwyneth Westbrook, identified as president of the local NAACP chapter, told commissioners she was concerned about the timing of any personnel moves: "I'm really concerned that people will be terminated without waiting for all the information to come in from the state," she said. She asked the commission to make sure any personnel decisions were not rushed and to ensure oversight actions were grounded in the full record.

Commissioners described the decision as complex. Several said they had pressed the assessor's office for a clear plan to return the county to the state ratio band in prior months and years. Commissioners also noted the county has added roughly $1 million of new taxable value in recent years but remains uneven in how values have been applied across residential and commercial properties.

What happened and next steps

- No formal vote or removal took place during the Jan. 14 work session. Commissioners closed the interview period and said they would consider the next steps, including reviewing the state peer-review findings when they arrive and obtaining personnel evaluations tied to the assessor's office.

- Commissioners reiterated that the Board of Tax Assessors oversees the chief appraiser and that corrective options range from requiring training, changing workflows, adding staffing, contracting an outside reevaluation or — in some commissioners' views — seeking personnel changes if performance and management problems persist.

Why this matters

Property assessments determine how the county's millage rate translates into bills paid by homeowners and businesses. A county that is out of the state's sales-ratio band faces a loss of uniformity and the possibility of adjustment requirements; for taxpayers, that can mean confusion and abrupt valuation changes. Commissioners and candidates emphasized the need to explain to the public how an assessed value differs from the final tax bill (the mill rate can be adjusted downward after values change).

What commissioners and candidates said

- County Administrator Jason Reznor led the interview process and framed the questions around cycle-based workflow and the board's oversight role.

- Commissioner Martin (one of several commissioners participating) repeatedly asked candidates whether they would be willing to make difficult, potentially unpopular decisions to restore uniformity and fairness.

- Candidate Andrea, a 24-year former employee of the assessor's office, said the office needs accurate parcel-level data: "If your information, your data on all your parcels are correct, yes. You can do that" (referring to using a single square-foot benchmark in WinGAP).

- Candidate Justin Kelly said communication and direct outreach to both digital and non-digital constituencies should be part of any reassessment process: "We need to have that literature packet...and if nobody's home, tape it to that front door."

Public record, questions left open

The county has not publicly released a final peer review of the assessor's office and some commissioners said they would withhold personnel action until the state's review is complete; others said that long-running morale and supervision problems may require immediate changes. Commissioners also requested a clear inventory of parcel data integrity, the number and reasons for overrides in WinGAP, and whether staffing levels are sufficient to meet a multi-year reassessment schedule.

The work session ended without a decision on removals; commissioners moved to close the session and said they would reconvene to consider appointments and follow-up steps after reviewing additional records and the state's peer-review report.