Many local officials are not seeking re-election and that could mean a lot of change for Leon County residents.
Leon County Property Appraiser Bert Hartsfield says he will not seek re-election in 2016. The position, along with many other Leon county offices, will see new leadership. County property appraisers value properties and calculate tax rates based on numbers set by local governments.
Clay Ketcham is a local real estate appraiser, who brings 39 years of experience to the race. Ketcham says his experience makes him the best candidate for the job.
“I think my experience uniquely qualifies me for property appraiser," Ketcham says. "Because I started out my career there and I work on the other side of the street at the real estate appraiser.”
Candidate Gregory Lane is the vice-president at Timberlane Appraiser and says he'll use technology to educate consumers about real estate.
“Moving forward, I think my goal will be to continue to thoroughly assess property," Lane says. "To educate the public on how the property are assess and maintain the high level of technology that citizens have come to expect with regards to sale data and mapping and then overall ease of the use of the Leon county property appraiser website.”
Doug Will currently works in the Leon County appraiser's office, and says that experience is important.
“While the other candidates are good people and two of them I understand are good appraisers, what sets me apart are 24 years of experience in property tax assessment and assessment administration and the administration of a very complicated tax role in the state of Florida,” Will says.
Former Leon County Commissioner Akin Akinyemi is also in the race. The City Commission will soon decide whether to increase property taxes, and it will be up to the property appraiser to carry out that mandate.