LETTER: Madison County missed out on a qualified chief appraiser

Qualified? Are you kidding? In what other county has she held the position of Chief Appraiser? The silence is deafening. Now more than ever this county needs a Chief Appraiser with Chief Appraiser experience. We all understand why the Board of Assessors would like to hire an inexperienced person over whom they can exercise influence. Fortunately the commissioners are breaking the Board of Assessor's strategy that has not worked in the past.

The assessments were full of errors last year, they were late, there were all sorts of problems leading to a record amount of appeals, and the tax bills were late...again. Rubio was part of that "team." It may be OK to let her remain in the office where she can learn and improve, but to take part of a team that didn't get the job done, and put an unproven, inexperienced (she was Chief Appraiser where?) member of that team in charge in a management position is absolutely ludicrous. It's precisely that mentality and inability to use a little rational logic by the Board of Assessors that we taxpayers now see what has been the source of most of our problems with assessments and punctuality. 99.9% of the population understands that if someone can't get the job done, you don't reward that person with a promotion!

The Board of Assessors should have ZERO input into who Madison County hires, because I don't remember VOTING for a single member of the Board of Assessors. People who are not elected should not be able to "select and recommend" an individual who not only draws a salary funded by the taxpayers, but has a tremendous amount of power over how much taxes we taxpayers pay. WE DO ELECT our Chairman and Commissioners and he or they should have absolute authority over hiring and firing, not an appointed board with dubious responsibility and no accountability.

The best thing that could happen is to just dissolve the Board of Assessors. We could save a lot of money not having to accommodate their meetings, political grandstanding, and sense that they have some sort of power. You aren't elected, guys. If you want some power, RUN FOR ELECTED OFFICE.

The next best thing we could do is make the Board just an advisory or figurehead board by just taking their input with the amount of attention it deserves...with a grain of salt. Hopefully this is what is happening now and the Board of Assessors are getting the message. Actually, I believe this letter is evidence that the message is being received. Good.

A solid "thank you," not just from myself, but from more citizens than you know, goes out to the commissioners and Chairman Dove on this very good decision. Let's get it right. And if the new Chief Appraiser doesn't get the job done and done on time, let's keep searching until we find someone who can. This year, however, painted a very clear picture for all to see, that the real problem for several years has been the Board of Assessors. The less power and influence they have, the better. Commissioners and Chairman, you are elected by the people. Don't be afraid to use the power given to you by the citizens of this county. Your power is granted by the voters. The Board of Assessors have no such authority and should have no such authority. If you have to spell it out to them time and again, spell it out. Clearly from the content of this letter, the message is finally being received.

This letter just shows how out of touch the folks on the Board of Assessors are, and Mr. Escoe in particular.

Escoe asks us, "What is it going to take to get people to set aside politics and put consideration of the Madison County taxpayers’ needs first?"

As a taxpayer, our elected representatives are the ones in charge of the "taxpayers' needs." As has been pointed out, NO ONE cast a single vote for Mr. Escoe or any other member of the Board of Assessors.

What is it going to take, Mr. Escoe? Why, it's going to take you manning up and running for office. If you want the responsibilities of an elected representative, you have to be ELECTED, sir.

I look forward to seeing your name on the ballot as a candidate for commissioner or chairman in the near future. On election night, when the returns are being counted, you will get a very real answer to your question. It may not be the answer you thought you would get or that you want to hear.

Mr. Escoe, you seem to make the assumption that most taxpayers agree with you, or that there is some groundswell of support for your position. You might want to keep that assumption in check. Frankly, you're starting to embarrass yourself.

Right. He ran for office and lost. That means a majority of people do not support him or his positions. You think he would get the message in losing an election, but no, he continues to embarrass himself with this crazy letter. Mr. Escoe, we the people do not agree with you. Get over it.

No. What was stated is that Escoe is embarrassing himself by writing nonsense letters from an unelected position. He did not state that Escoe is aware that Escoe's letter is embarrassing to Escoe. I think that was his point. Escoe thinks he is making a point. Escoe thinks people agree with him and the BOA. Escoe seems to think that he won an election. He did not. It is precisely by writing letters to support his delusional positions that Escoe's behavior is, in fact, embarrassing to himself. The fact that Escoe does not see this, as the rest of us can, only supports the writer's opinion that Escoe is unaware of how his behavior appears to others, hence the self-embarrassment. Escoe is in a hole, yet he continues to dig!

The commissioners made a good decision in not hiring an inexperienced, unqualified person. Everyone I speak with agrees. I haven't seen any letters, nor heard any opinions from any citizens who are upset with the commissioners' decision. Only poor, perpetually upset, melodramatic Mr. Escoe. He so desperately needs attention. On the contrary, I have heard countless opinions from citizens, particularly anyone who witnessed any of the property tax appeals, who are elated at the commissioners' decision to seek out a qualified chief appraiser with not only the necessary experience as an appraiser, but the even more important managerial and communication skills the BOA recommended candidate so obviously lacks.

Again, good decision. Now let's go about the business of finding a qualified candidate and get the tax appraiser's office on track.