FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

As I have been out speaking to voters, people repeatedly ask me, "If elected Roane County Property Assessor, what will you do differently to ensure proper and fair assessments?"

My short answer is this: “I will use real market data, including both the positive and negative sales. The incumbent Assessor does not use this data as she should. I will use real world sales data that coincide with Roane County’s actual real estate economy.”

Basically, Teresa Kirkham has driven assessments artificially high by not including the real data.

As your next Property Assessor, I will correct this. I will include external obsolescence, short sale and foreclosure data into the comparable sales, plus I will calculate the absorption rate and housing supply as I develop an economically sound model. The incumbent Assessor doesn’t; in fact, she is primarily using only the "positive data" while ignoring the lower sales data. This is not an economic reality and it should not be happening. Her assessment methods simply end up driving Roane County’s assessments higher and higher over time. We know the reality: this economy has been horrible. Roane County needs someone in the Property Assessor’s office who can relate to the real world economy. We need someone who will use the real data to ensure fair property assessments. As your next Property Assessor, I will do that.

I am running for Property Assessor because the current assessments are unfair. It is my strong belief that many of Ms. Kirkham’s assessments are grossly inflated. Conversely, it is my driving principle to achieve fair property assessments for everyone in Roane County. I understand that fair property assessments = fairer property taxes paid. Every day, I have people tell me that they could not sell their property for the inflated assessed value provided by Ms. Kirkham’s office. This is not fair, and people are hurting.

Lest we forget, Roane County had one of the worst environmental disasters in history right here in our backyard – the TVA ash spill. The incumbent Assessor made no adjustments whatsoever to account for the economic impact. Ms. Kirkham may have forgotten—but I have not forgotten, and I believe voters in Roane County will not forget.

These are just a couple of the differences between Teresa Kirkham’s and my professional philosophies regarding fair assessment. I am certain that once all the economic data are properly factored into the equation, it will help bring the assessed values and current real estate market closer together.

In closing, Ms. Kirkham continues to say that she has no control over the assessments in Roane County. She incorrectly cites the misconception that the State mandates exactly how her office must conduct the assessments and re-assessment. This is just not the reality. As your next Property Assessor, I will use sound assessment principles. I will take responsibility for the Assessor’s Office, and I will not blame others for unjustly driving up the values on our taxpayers.

I ask for your vote as we fight together for fair property assessments for Roane County.

Thank you.

David

It's time for a change.
Fair Property Assessments for everyone.
fairpropertyassessments.com
David Morgan for Roane County Property Assessor