DID YOU KNOW?

An important nonpartisan referendum on the NOVEMBER 4 ballot, which will affect you reads:  “SHOULD THE ASSESSING DUTIES OF THE ELECTED TOWNSHIP ASSESSOR IN THE TOWNSHIP BE TRANSFERRED TO THE COUNTY ASSESSOR?”

You must VOTE “NO” if you wish to continue to have the same courteous, efficient  service you are used to by calling, or coming into, the conveniently located St. John Township Assessor’s office.  The Referendum is on the last page of the ballot or voting machine.

Township assessors are elected by the voters of their township and live and work in the township and they know who they are responsible to …YOU, THE TAXPAYER.  They know the township.  Their offices are far more accessible to the taxpayers than a central location.  Who wants to go to the Lake County Government Center in Crown Point and pass through a metal detector and then wait in line for a great length of time to have a question answered.

Township personnel have as much, if not more, training as the “professionals”.  They are required to attend continuing education classes as the state continues to change assessing procedures, etc.  The assessors are the only elected officials who must be certified by the state and they must also take continuing education classes to maintain their certification.

So far, the budgets of the already closed Township Assessor offices have simply been added to the County Assessors’ budgets.   The only thing reduced has been SERVICES TO THE TAXPAYERS.  Don’t let this happen to you. 

As of today, the St. John Township Assessor’s office is STILL correcting errors made in 2002 by CLT, THE COMPANY HIRED BY THE STATE OF INDIANA to do that reassessment.  This fiasco cost you, the taxpayer, 31 million dollars.

One basic flaw in the current system is that homes that are for sale are often spruced up for sale and some are completely renovated.  When is the last time you had major work done?  It is the sales in an area that influence all of the assessments in that area.  Also, location matters.  A home in one area may be assessed much more than a nearly identical home in another area.  This is just the way market value assessing works because that is the way things are in the real estate market.  Location, Location.

The State of Indiana patterns its rules for assessments with the rules from “The International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO)”.  The IAAO sets $30.00 as a target per parcel of assessment.  This office operates at $15.00 to $16.00 per parcel.  The reason for the low cost in this office:  All employees are state certified assessor/appraisers, who have the know-how to perform their duties.

It is an honor and pleasure to work with the property owners of St. John Township as your elected representative in assessment matters.

I can be reached through the office (219-365-2777), email: hank_adams2000@yahoo.com or you can find more information through my website http://hankadams.com.

Thank you and be sure to vote on Tuesday, November 4 for all of the offices and the Referendum.

Hank Adams, St. John Township Assessor