Hamilton County property assessor candidates both explain why they're the best man for the job

Photo is Mark Siedlecki, candidate for Hamilton County Assessor of Property.
Photo is Mark Siedlecki, candidate for Hamilton County Assessor of Property.
photo Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 2/4/16. Marty Haynes, a candidate for Assessor of Property, speaks during the Downtown Council of the Chamber of Commerce's candidate forum at Puckett's restaurant in downtown Chattanooga on Thursday, February 4, 2016.

The Democratic and Republican candidates in the Hamilton County Assessor of Property race are both calling for a businesslike approach to modernizing the office they seek to win in the August general election.

The assessor's duties involve locating, classifying and valuing all properties in the county. The property tax rate, which is based on assessor data, is set by the County Commission. The Hamilton County Assessor of Property earns $115,588 annually, according to the county's 2016 budget.

The Times Free Press asked each candidate - Republican Marty Haynes and Democrat Mark Siedlecki - why they are the best for tackling the job.

"I always go by two rules I learned in business: Take care of your employees and take care of your customers," said Haynes, a county commissioner since 2012 who cites more than 30 years of business experience with Porter Warner Industries and as a licensed real estate agent.

Haynes said he has experience managing budgets in the millions of dollars in the private sector, a lengthy public service track record as a county commissioner and decades of community service.

"It's about being engaged with the community," said Haynes. "I listen more than I talk."

During the Republican primary campaign, Haynes said the property assessor's office should allow taxpayers to print forms, file information and appeal appraisals online.

"I bring a conservative approach to problem solving," said Haynes. "It's about being accountable to the taxpayer to solve their problems."

Siedlecki said overcoming the office's website challenges will take strong leadership and a background in technology. He said his decades of technology and management experience make him suited to create a modern and taxpayer-friendly assessor website.

"I'm the only candidate running who has the experience to make the needed improvements and enhancements," Siedlecki has said, crediting an entrepreneurial business background that stretches back to when he was a teenager.

The challenges facing the assessor's office are enormous, said Siedlecki, who recommended reviewing the property assessor website for Nashville/Davidson County to understand the kind of changes needed here.

"We are way behind the times," he said. "It takes leadership and you have to have the desire to want to have information available for the public. I think that with my business background, I'm going to bring a new experience to the assessor race."

Haynes defeated veteran assessor employees Sterling Jetton and Randy Johnston to win the Republican nomination. Since then, he has praised his former opponents.

"I can't say enough about Randy Johnston and Sterling Jetton," said Haynes. "Both have reached out to me after the primary."

If Haynes wins the election, he will be the third county property assessor to hold the position after serving in the Hamilton County Commission.

Incumbent Bill Bennett has been in office since 1994 after more than a decade on the commission. Before him, Claude Ramsey served one commission term before being elected assessor in 1980 and then county mayor in 1994. He served in that position until becoming deputy to Gov. Bill Haslam in January 2011. He retired in 2013.

Contact staff writer Paul Leach at 423-757-6481 or pleach@timesfreepress.com.

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