Job of Assessor Not Always Popular

It can be an overwhelming job and one that many would never want.

Scott Marsh has served as Rogers County assessor since last year, and hopes voters allow him to keep his position.

Over 45,000 parcels of property – each needs to be evaluated and assessed at its fair market value, and that is the task that faces your local county assessor. It can be an overwhelming job and one that many would never want. Sometimes it is thankless and misunderstood. But, it is the job that Scott Marsh has been proud to hold since April 1 of last year when he was appointed by unanimous vote of the county commissioners when Melissa Anderson retired, and it is the job that he sincerely hopes Rogers County voters will allow him to keep.

It is a job that Scott has taken very seriously. He is the only candidate who has taken and passed all seven classes for advanced accreditation required by the Oklahoma Tax Commission, including Intro to the Assessor’s Office, Real Property Appraisal, Mass Appraisal, Income Approach, Business Personal Property, Cadastral Mapping, and Agricultural Valuation. He is also the only candidate who has spent the past 13 years becoming proficient using PC ARC INFO, ARC GIS, and ARC Reader. Each program is essential for the success of the assessor’s office. During his 14 years working in the assessor’s office, he has been involved in every position within the office, which helps him on a daily basis better understand the tasks that need to be done and how to accomplish them with efficiency.

A strong family man, Scott is also a man of great faith. He is the youth director at his church, and his wife Jamie is the children’s director. They are the proud parents to Tyler, age 17; Jordan, age 16; and Samantha, age 11.

Since Scott has been in office, he has seen firsthand some of the current laws that he would like to see changed, or at least adjusted to better serve the public. One of these changes has to do with the Homestead Exemption Law. Currently, homeowners are given a $1,000 exemption, which Scott feels is completely outdated. “This law has not been changed in almost 80 years,” Scott explains. “I personally would like to see the exemption changed to $2,000 to $3,000 in order to keep up with the rate of inflation over the years. It is a change that will not just help a small group of people; it will help all property owners.” This is just one idea that Scott hopes to be able to implement.

One of the accomplishments Scott is most proud of is the County website. “Our I.T. director and mapping staff have worked especially hard on our mapping system that is used on our website,” Scott explains. “It is one of the best in the state and services the citizens of Rogers County well.”

Scott is strong in his beliefs and convictions when it comes to the proper running of the assessor’s office. He strongly believes in being a good steward of taxpayer money and prides himself on not wasting it on frivolous items. He understands that one of the biggest parts of his job is being a good listener, and he is adamant about addressing all the concerns brought to him by Rogers County residents.

One of the common misconceptions that many have of the assessor’s office is that they control what people have to pay for property taxes. “A large part of what people pay is completely out of my control. I don’t say what the mileage rates are, for example, nor do I have control over bond issues that are passed. All of these issues come into play when the property tax amounts are calculated. It is my job only to assess the fair market value of each home and business that I look at.”

The final point that Scott would like to stress to voters is this: “I firmly believe that government is not outside the people. I want to bridge the gap between them. A government should be working for the people it was created to serve!”

The Republican Primary Election is July 27, 2010 and if chosen, Scott will face the challenger in the general election to be held November 2, 2010.

If you have any questions for Scott, he can be contacted at (918) 284-8855, or you can read more at www.votescottmarsh.com.

For more information, contact

Scott Marsh

(918) 284-8855

www.votescottmarsh.com