For the first time in years, Boone County assessor Tom Schauwecker has a challenger for the August 5th primary election.
Certified real estate appraiser and Ashland city council member Barbara Bishop has filed to run for the position as a Democrat.
"Right now, our economy is hurting. Homes are in foreclosure, and job-killing property taxes have put additional pressure on high-paying employers like 3M," said Bishop, a former member of Ashland's Planning and Zoning Commission and Parks Board. "Boone County needs an assessor who will protect schools and public safety by assessing property fairly."
Properly appraising property -- from cars to homes to livestock -- is at the heart of the assessor's job.
With thirteen years of appraisal experience, Bishop's plan for the county assessor's office includes her most important promise: to treat constituents and employees with respect and dignity.
She also wants to investigate rescinding the vehicle tax based on vehicle identification numbers or VINs, which led to a net tax increase for thousands of Boone County residents. Bishop instead
advocates letting voters or the county commission decide. "Tax increases should be voted on," Bishop said.
Other ideas include making sure the assessor's office follows the law and avoids being overturned on appeal.
"The current administration has lost several large, high-profile tax appeals that tied up school funding in escrow for years," Bishop said. "I want to carefully study those appeals, and make sure the assessor's office has learned from its mistakes. We can't afford not to do the job right the first time."
Doing the job right the first time -- through planning -- has been a hallmark of Bishop's service in Ashland, a southern Boone County town nestled amidst a population of nearly 10,000 people, many of whom work in Columbia.
In a nod to good governance reported just this week, Bishop has joined fellow city council members to partner with the Southern Boone County School District on a major road construction project "that will provide a dramatic improvement," school board president and Commerce Bank executive Joe Miller told the Boone County Journal, Ashland's local newspaper.
Bishop has also been a key supporter of building coalitions through communications, advocating for the creation of an economic development commission that included elected officials, the Chamber of Commerce, groups, schools, and most importantly, what she calls "our bright, talented citizens."
To the office of Boone County assessor, Bishop wants to bring the same attention to details --and people.
"I'm running on a platform of professionalism, fairness, and openness," Bishop said.
CONTACT: Barbara Bishop, 573-657-9521 or
bishopforboone@yahoo.com
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
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