Mark Siedlecki, candidate for Hamilton County Assessor of Property.Mark Siedlecki is the clear choice for Hamilton County assessor of property, an office that now is woefully under-utilized and out of date.
The assessor of property oversees a staff that sets an appraised value on each parcel of land in the county, as well as on any improvements on it. The assessor's office also determines the value of equipment used by businesses.
These assessments provide the base for determining what amount of real and personal property taxes each property owner must pay - subject of course to the tax rate set by our county and municipal officials.
Thus, while the position of assessor is not a flashy public office, it is an extremely important one that touches the lives of virtually every resident.
For the past 22 years, Hamilton County's assessor of property has been Bill Bennett, who was first appointed to that position in September 1994 and has since won five consecutive terms in office. This year, he is retiring.
Siedlecki, a Democrat and political newcomer, is opposed by Republican Marty Haynes, who is a current Hamilton County commissioner.
But what gives Siedlecki, 55, an important edge in this race is not just his business and technology expertise. Another strong asset is his willingness to take a fresh approach to what has been decades of perceived Hamilton County, good-old-boy favoritism and ingrained habits that stiffled change - whether that change meant better technology, better services for residents or even savings for seniors.
For instance, while at least 23 other counties in the state have adopted the state's local option property tax freeze program for seniors, including Davidson, Knox, Shelby and Bradley counties, we have not - despite the fact that doing so would only drop the county's property tax revenue by $150,000 to $250,000, says Siedlecki, who grew up in Chattanooga and Rossville.
His opponent, Haynes, has countered that the assessor lacks the authority to make that change: It must be voted by county commissioners - of which Haynes is one.
That's correct, but Siedlecki hasn't said he could or would enact that savings. What he has forthrightly said - unlike Haynes - is that he would "advocate" for freezing property taxes, presenting a plan and budget to our county commissioners that would include a proposal for their action.
Such a plan would be a win for this county in more ways that just savings for seniors. Our public schools need reforms that cry out for additional funding. County commissioners have publicly said they would not vote for a tax increase - in large measure because Hamilton County retirees are often those who most oppose tax hikes. But if their tax rates are frozen that particular opposition would cool.
Siedlecki said 85 percent of people in Hamilton County have said in a poll that they want a senior tax freeze enacted.
"There are people in this county today who are losing their homes because they can't pay their taxes. The county commission has acted in arrogance not to enact this," he said.
Haynes, 57, of Hixson, counters that Hamilton County has a seniors tax relief program that residents may apply to receive if their incomes are under $29,999. Haynes says the county has 3,400 properties on tax relief right now.
Haynes also says county officials have looked at other Tennessee counties that passed the senior tax rate freeze and found that most of the counties later "came back and passed a wheel tax."
Both men agree that the assessor's office is in desperate need of a technology update.
Haynes, though he has years of experience as a manager and budgeter, acknowledges that he will have to research the needed upgrades.
Siedlecki, as owner and operator of Novare Digital, an ad agency with an emphasis on doing things online, and the past owner of other technology businesses, already has spent months looking at the technology used in other Tennessee county assessors' offices. His experience and willingness to use his own time sets him apart as the man who should receive our votes.