Assessor Candidates Back Hike In Exemptions

Thu., May 21, 1998

By Kevin Keating KevinKe@spokesman.com

Bonner County assessor

Two Republican candidates are fighting to unseat Bonner County assessor Paul Votava.

All three candidates tout their experience and favor a hike in the homeowner’s exemption to lower tax bills.

Cary Vogel and Hal Carter want to oust Votava, also a Republican, saying he’s got limited knowledge of property appraisals.

Votova was put in office in September 1997. Commissioners chose him on a 2-1 vote to replace outgoing assessor Tim Cochran. The Republican party gave commissioners a short list of candidates to select from. Vogel’s name was first on the list, not Votava’s.

Votava had no experience as an appraiser nor did he work in the assessor’s office as Vogel has for the past 10 years. “Experience counts,” Vogel said. “I would really like to see politics stay out of the assessor’s office.”

Carter, an independent appraiser with 25 years experience, also questions Votava’s credentials. “The issue here is who has the qualifications,” he said. “It should be an appraiser or someone intimately familiar with appraising. A political appointee will have some allegiance to whomever appoints him.”

Votava said he is not a political pawn. “The key thing the assessor does is act as a filter to see the rules are applied fairly and uniformly,” Votava said. “There is a lot more to the job than the nuts and bolts of appraising.”

Votava’s background is in business. However, he attended and passed 77 hours of appraisal courses after he was appointed. He was not required to take the courses.

Vogel was an independent appraiser for four years before he went to work for the county. He directs the office when the assessor is absent.

“I have the depth of experience and have been doing the job,” he said. “I understand the local issues and the real estate market.”

The winner of the primary race will face Democrat Jim Boatwright in November.

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