Three Republicans and three Democrats are running for the revenue commissioner seat, a newly created office that will combine the tax collector’s and tax assessor’s offices.Vying for the Republican nomination will be Hal Adams of Jacksonville, Tim Hodges of Anniston, and Keith Robertson of Anniston.
Seeking the Democratic nomination are Ed Denham of Anniston, Roy Hanner of Oxford and Karen Roper of Jacksonville.
None of the candidates for either party have never held an elected office office.
While many of the candidates are focusing on the same issues, making a smooth transition into the creation of the new office is something all the candidates cited as a priority.
“The number one thing that is going to have to be done is the job of combining two staffs,” Hanner said. “It will have to be someone who has the ability to come in and take care of personnel.”
Because of that, many of the candidates are touting their business experience as one of the things that makes them qualified for the office.
Hanner, Denham, Hodges and Adams have all owned their own businesses. Robertson has experience in sales, while Roper has spent 23 years working in the Tax Assessor’s Office.
More than his business experience, however, it is seven years experience with the Department of Revenue that Adams cites as his main qualification.
“My main point is that I am the only candidate who is certified (by the state Department of Revenue) as an appraiser,” Adams said. “The revenue commissioner is responsible for placing value on all the property in the county, and those appraisals are what taxes are based on. We need someone who can make sure there is a qualified group of appraisers in there and that you don’t have someone off the street appraising your property.”
Adams also says he would hope to implement year-round assessing, as well as programs that would educate the public about exemptions many may not be aware of.
Both of Adams’ Republican competitors say fair, accurate appraisals are just one aspect of an office that will have several priorities.
I want to make sure there is fair and equal taxation for all residents in Calhoun County,” Robertson said. “But I also want people to be able to rest assured that all money collected will be handled properly and appropriately.”
Hodges agrees that customer service should be a priority.
“I own property in Calhoun County, both commercial and residential, and I think there are ways with the combination of the two offices to streamline things and make them run more effectively,” Hodges said.
On the Democratic side, Denham also cites years of experience of dealing with both the previous offices. He says just as important as licensing for an appraiser is having one who knows the area.
“I’m an independent businessman, and I’ve done a lot of buying and selling of real estate over the years,” Denham said. “One of the biggest things for me is to get the state’s appraisers out of the county. We need qualified, local people appraising our property.”
Having spent most of her career working for the Tax Assessor’s Office, Roper says her knowledge of the business as well as of both staffs will help her create a smooth transition.
For her, a main focus is the Fire Tax Bill, passed in 1997, that is currently before the court. The dispute over the bill centers around how the money is allocated — a duty that will fall to the Revenue Commissioner once the court rule on the matter.
“That has been a big issue ever since the bill was passed, and, as soon as a decision is made, it is one that the revenue commissioner will have to deal with,” Roper said. “On top of that, the revenue commissioner is going to have to integrate the assessing and the collecting part of the job. I’ve worked enough in both areas, I feel like it will be a smoother transition if someone who has been there and has been doing the work can go in and help make that transition.”
Hanner also pointed to creating a smooth merging of the two staffs as a priority, but he says he would hope to eventually create a few changes as well.
“I would try to do a lot of cross training, making sure all the employees in that office are familiar with all the different functions of the office,” Hanner said. “There are a lot of great employees in there who already provide a lot of services, so you need a revenue commissioner in there who can earn their trust, motivate them and make that office as efficient as it can be.”
Hanner also brought up the possibility of keeping the office open later hours one day a week as something he would hope to pursue, especially if it could be done at no extra cost.
Many of the candidates mentioned the creation of a Web site that would make the assessments and tax information more easily available to the public as a primary goal, as well as the implementation of other computerization techniques. Some of those, such as computerized mapping are already in the works and will be available to whomever takes office.
Roy Leon Hanner
Karen Roper
Ed Denham
Keith Robertson
Hal Adams
Timothy Hodges
