First off, what does a Property Appraiser do?
The Hillsborough County Property Appraiser is an elected official charged with the duty and responsibility to appraise all of the property in the County. This includes real estate and tangible personal property (the equipment, machinery and fixtures) of businesses. The Property Appraiser prepares the tax roll, but does not collect taxes or determine tax rates.
The Property Appraiser is required by law to assess all property within the county each January 1st. In Hillsborough County this means that the Property Appraiser determines the market value for hundreds of thousands of individual parcels, including residential, agricultural, multifamily, commercial, industrial, as well as thousands of personal property accounts.
In addition to appraising property, the Property Appraiser must administer homestead exemptions, agricultural classification, determine the eligibility of certain religious, charitable, educational and municipal property for tax exemption, as well as administer widow, widower’s and disability exemptions. The Property Appraiser also maintains current and up to date legal descriptions and ownership tax maps of all the real property in Hillsborough County.
If you are good at math and setting a fair price for property, you could be qualified. But you didn’t run, so here are the candidates:
In Hillsborough County, Democrat Ken Ayers is taking on incumbent Republican Rob Turner. I couldn’t find websites for either candidate, so if you know where they are, leave ‘em in the comments. Here’s the Hillsborough County Property Appraiser website.
Current Pinellas Property Appraiser Jim Smith is not running, so his senior manager, Republican Pam Dubov thinks you should vote Pam for Pinellas.com, while Ben Friedlander wants you to Choose Ben.com. For good measure, we add the Pinellas County Property Appraiser website.
Dave Dragon
1 year ago
I couldn’t locate anything on the candidates either, sorry.
Dave
Cyndee Haydon
1 year ago
Tommy, Not sure if my other comment got taken – please check out Frank Gregoire – a long time Pinellas County appraiser running for the top job for our county. He believes in adjusting values quickly as they rise and fall. Here’s his blogsite if you want to learn more… http://appraiseractive.blogspot.com/2008/06/someone-ought-to-tell-tax-man-that.html
tommy
1 year ago
Hey Cyndee!
Thanks a bunch, but Frank was beat by Pam Dubov in the Republican primaries.
http://appraiseractive.blogspot.com/2008/08/morning-after.html
Cyndee Haydon
1 year ago
Hey Tommy – ok I’ve got a “red face” this morning – lol – I just got back from a vacation in the Outer Banks and missed this news – that is a real shame, especially, since I just got my new tax notice and my value went down, my exemptions went up you’d think my property taxes would be lower or the same at least – nope – they went up and now on Sept 3rd the Supreme Court upheld ruling to throw Amendement 5 off the ballot in Nov. This is an election!
Frank Gregoire
1 year ago
Thanks for taking the time to find the Campaign Blog. As a first time candidate, I found the experience enlightening, entertaining and a fantastic means of reducing my waist size (and wallet).
Since it’s time to rebuild my appraisal business, the blog will return to its original purpose, as stated back in November, 2005:
“For several years I’ve been active on real estate appraiser bulletin boards and forums. Most of these tend to concentrate on technical issues and answering questions from new and/or aspiring appraisers. All this has its place and use, but misses the place we need to make a mark.
My interest is Activism and Participation in effecting changes. Changes in Real Estate Appraisal Regulation; laws, rules, procedures and ad valorem assessment and taxation.
My interest is Communication with users and clients about the value of competent Real Property Appraisal Services.
My interest is Providing a Base from which to find information useful to like-minded appraisers, clients, users and property owners.”
Check back once in a while.
http://appraiseractive.blogspot.com/
Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog » Blog Archive » for tax collector and property appraiser
1 year ago
[...] Rob Turner is trying to hold off challenger Ken Ayers for Property Appraiser. [...]
Mark Johnson
1 year ago
As far as the property appraiser race goes, Rob Turner is by far the best choice, he was elected twelve years ago and took over one of the most investigated offices in the state. Since then he has restored integrety and fairness in their appraisals and also created a very customer service oriented office. Ken Ayers is basicaly an old crook from the Nick Nuccio era of Tampa politics. I need say no more except that he is soley supported by several individuals that Rob Turner fired when he took office twelve years ago! They still are consumed with hate for him twelve years later! The funny thing is that none of them should have had jobs there in the first place, as they were nothing but political operatives for Ron Alderman, the pevious appraiser. I need say no more.