Democrat Akin Akinyemi is Leon County’s next property appraiser, beating out NPA candidate Greg Lane with 51 percent of the vote.
Akinyemi has decades of experience as an architect and a planner, and served on the Leon County Commission. Unlike other contenders in the race, Akinyemi has not worked as an appraiser, but he says he’s ready to take over for longtime officeholder Bert Hartsfield, who had endorsed Doug Will for the job. Will lost in the primary.
“Only Doug Will has done this job before, so you’re going to have to get trained. I’m a quick leaner, I have four or five degrees. I’m about to finish my Ph.D. So I have absolute confidence that whatever I need to learn to do the job right, I’m going to do it,” he said.
Akinyemi hopes to make the office more transparent and approachable, by educating the community and revamping the agency’s website.
*Correction: Bert Hartsfield is the outgoing property appraiser, not Doug Will.
