Desert Messenger

May 3, 2017 www.DesertMessenger.com 7 Opinions expressed in letters to the editor do not necessarily represent those of the Desert Messenger. letters to the editor ASSESSOR SPEAKS OUT I am writing to express my con- cerns about the decision made by the Board of Supervisors for addi- tional cuts to be made to the Coun- ty Assessor's offi ce in the amount of $4,300 a month. In the past there were seven ap- praisers in the Assessor's offi ce. Currently, there are fi ve appraisers in the offi ce. I have been very vocal about my concerns with the staffi ng levels in the Assessor's offi ce. Hav- ing to make additional cuts to the Assessor's offi ce is going to impact the county like never before. I inher- ited a large number of unfi nished tasks as well as a backlog of permits that had not been worked from the previous administration; which adds up to signifi cant revenues. Not being able to assess and list on the tax roll, due to the lack of staff has been extremely disappointing. A paper published by the Inter- national Association of Assessing Offi cers (IAAO) addresses recom- mended staffi ng levels for property assessment called, "Evaluating Real Property Assessment Practices, A Management Guide." According to this study, "an effective assess- ment system requires one full time employee, including clericals, per 1,500-3,500 parcels, depending on the nature of the jurisdiction and the diffi culty of the appraisal task. Smaller jurisdictions tend to re- quire a greater staff relative to the number of parcels than do larger jurisdictions." Id. at p. 5, empha- sis added. A similar study in 2013 indicated that the average parcel count per employee was 3,123 in 2013, depending on the technology available to the offi ce. Based on our records, there are 17,595 parcels in La Paz County. In addition, there are 4,280 personal property accounts (consisting of 3,490 mobile home accounts and 790 business accounts) that my staff must work. These numbers show that our offi ce is already un- derstaffed and in need of additional appraisers. We have provided this information to the HR Director, Acting County Manager, and the Board of Supervisors. I would like to personally apologize to property owners in La Paz County who have been waiting for us to con- duct fi eld reviews, ownership trans- fers, splits, combines, etc. We will continue to be supportive and if you should have any questions or con- cerns please do not hesitate to give our offi ce a call or stop by and talk to us in person. We are doing the best job we can under the circumstances and hopefully will not lose any staff, so we may continue serving the pub- lic in a timely manner. Sincerely, Anna Camacho La Paz County Assessor THANKS TO FAMILY DOLLAR We have had a very active year helping the community with Thri- vent Action Team projects. The el- ementary school, the Senior Center, the local 4-H groups, have all ben- efi ted by this marvelous "Passing It Forward in the Community" pro- gram as well as others. Plans are al- ready coming together for possible projects for this next year. I wish to take this opportunity to es- pecially thank our local merchants I had fi ve older sisters and they criticized me for different things; like not having higher grades in school. As I aged, I realized this was praise in disguise. They were help- ing me along. So when something is mentioned to you differently than your thinking, don't ..... back with a hateful remark. It could be showing you could do better or look into something that is not working for you, what is wrong with change, suggestions, manners, and politeness. Pat Meissner Quartzsite We can get the Shih tzu out of your carpet! 520-255-9081 MD CARPET CLEANING SERVING QUARTZSITE - BLYTHE Let's Talk Dirty! for their support of the community, especially Family Dollar I, try hard when we have funds available to us, to spend the monies locally. Every dollar we spend here, stays here and it enables us to have it grow and continues to support many local needs. The manager and employees at Family Dollar have gone out of their way to order quantity items for us at the lowest possible price. They recently put into place that if you buy a certain candy bar that one is donated for the Food Bank. We have received 100's of candy bars so far. On a recent trip the local manager stopped and asked me if I would like a couple boxes of clothing and shoes. The following week I deliv- ered fi ve boxes of children's shoes and baby clothes to the Food Bank to be given out for free to needy families. We are often the fi rst to complain, but once in awhile we need to pat those on the back that often do not get credit for all the wonderful things they do that most do not see. Thank you Dave, Wilt, Teresa and all the rest that work at Family Dol- lar, you are simply wonderful. Maggie Ross, Thrivent Action Teams & Member of Covenant Lutheran Church CRITICISM You can take criticism for your benefi t. Criticism is not necessarily an insult. It could be a way of look- ing at something differently and making it better, or something you never knew about. 401 W. Hobsonway Blythe, CA 760-922-2126 160-B E. Main Street Quartzsite, AZ 928-927-5484 D & L Auto Parts, Inc

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