Ham Hill Road in Need of Maintenance
To the editor:
My name is Emma Edmonds. I live on Ham Hill in Centralia, and have for 45 years. The city has never done anything more than fill potholes on Ham Hill Road. There were very few homes on the hill when I first moved in, but now there are homes on both sides of the road, starting at the bottom. At times, two cars going the opposite direction have a hard time passing because the road is so narrow.
The road has never been blacktopped or widened to accommodate the added traffic.
Now they have started logging up the hill somewhere, and the road is suffering. Potholes are much larger and the narrow road has become dangerous.
Emma Edmonds
Centralia
Dorey Has What Assessor’s Office Needs
To the editor:
This letter is my endorsement of Dianne Dorey for re-election as Lewis County assessor. I am endorsing Dorey because of her extensive experience and her effectiveness as assessor over the past 16 years.
From my perspective, the assessor should be highly qualified and experienced in three different dimensions. Those dimensions are technical, office management and even-handed application of tax law.
Dianne has worked in the Assessor’s Office for 39 years. She has served in every position in the office, including chief appraiser. She is an accredited real and personal property appraiser and is certified in Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practices. These formal certifications are backed up by nearly 1,000 hours of continuing education in the appraisal field.
Dianne has been the assessor for 16 years. She was appointed to the position by the county commissioners in 1998 and has since been elected four times. Her office is audited regularly by the state auditor and has always received excellent ratings. The State Department of Revenue conducts annual audits of county assessors. Under Dianne’s management, the Lewis County Assessor’s Office is rated very highly when compared to other Washington counties.
The Washington state Constitution requires all parcels be valued at 100 percent of market value. This constitutional requirement augmented by legislative actions is the legal foundation for assigning value to (appraising) Lewis County property.
Accordingly, appraised values must be adjusted as real estate market values change. This legal requirement can result in some surprises and taxpayer discontent, especially when real estate market values increase significantly, as they have in recent years.
Taxpayers can appeal property valuations and other determinations to the Lewis County Board of Equalization, if they can not reach a satisfactory resolution with the assessor. The Lewis County Board of Equalization is an independent body that hears and decides appeals related to property valuation and other determinations by the Lewis County assessor. The board is established by the laws of Washington state and governed by the Washington State Department of Revenue.
During 2013, there were 162 appeals to the Lewis County Board of Equalization. There are 63,050 real property tax parcels in Lewis County. Therefore, the percentage of appeals was only 0.26 percent. This exceptionally low number and percentage of appeals is indicative of the accuracy and fairness of the Assessor’s Office. Neither of the other candidates for assessor can approach Dorey’s qualifications and experience in these critical requirements for county assessor. Therefore, I ask you to join me in supporting re-election of Dianne Dorey.
T. Neason
Curtis
Be Sure to Vote; Grove, Snaza Preferred
To the editor:
Your ballots have arrived, and if you have not already voted, please fill it out and get it sent in as soon as possible. As you consider who you will vote for, I would encourage you to vote for the people who are most qualified. These are people who work for us, and they should have the knowledge and experience necessary to fulfill the position.
For instance, Larry Grove is running for auditor. He has worked in the office and knows what the job requires. He knows it so well that he has been involved with every aspect of the office. He spent hours after the write-in election of Linda Smith to make sure the votes were tallied and correct. He has been in charge of audits for many years. In fact, auditing is one of his strengths. In a conservative county where as taxpayers, we want every penny to count, his expertise is critical. His job will be to audit the different departments in the County to make sure their expenses are according to the law.
Another position where we need expertise and knowledge of the law is our Sheriff’s office. Rob Snaza is the obvious choice here. He is the only candidate who knows about the law, the office, the personnel, and the tasks required to do the job.
These are just two examples of the county and state officials you are being asked to vote for. Please consider each candidate and make sure you vote for the ones who have the experience and ability to do the job.
Ruth Peterson
Curtis
