Jones County commissioners appoint three to Board of Tax Assessors

Jones County commissioners at a called meeting appointed three people to the Jones County Board of Tax Assessors and voted to keep remaining applications on file.

The appointments approved were Joe Rutledge to a full six-year term on the Board of Tax Assessors, Lee Stanford to a seat with a term that commissioners identified as expiring in 2027, and Andre Riley to an unexpired seat that commissioners said expires at the end of 2025. Commissioners approved each appointment by voice vote and agreed to retain other submitted applications in the county’s queue for future openings.

Why it matters: The Board of Tax Assessors oversees property assessments that affect local tax bills and revenue distribution; filling full and partial terms staggers expirations so not all seats come up for replacement at once.

Details of votes and terms Joe Rutledge was nominated and appointed to a full six-year term. During discussion commissioners confirmed the seat is a full term and multiple participants referenced a six-year length; one participant said the appointment extends through 2031. The motion to appoint Rutledge was seconded and passed by voice vote, recorded as “aye.”

Lee Stanford was nominated and appointed to a seat that commissioners discussed as expiring in 2027. The motion to appoint Stanford was seconded and passed by voice vote.

Andre Riley was nominated and appointed to an unexpired seat that commissioners stated expires at the end of 2025. During discussion a commissioner raised concerns about Riley’s role during a previous period and whether she had acted at that time; another speaker said the person in question had made motions previously, spoke up and later retired. The motion to appoint Riley was seconded and carried by voice vote; the transcript records at least one voiced opposition during that item.

Other actions Commissioners voted to keep the applications of the remaining candidates on file so the county can fill future vacancies without reinterviewing applicants already vetted. Commissioners also said they will decide whether to assign appointees to unexpired terms or full terms to preserve staggered expirations.

Process and context Speakers noted that one seat (referred to in the meeting as “Miss Geraldine’s”) had expired at the end of December and was considered a full term; the other two seats under discussion were unexpired terms. Commissioners discussed staggering terms so not all seats expire at once and referenced prior interviews with applicants.

No public comments on the item were recorded in the meeting excerpt; the meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn.