Hamilton County has never been immune to dirty politics. To the contrary, we have seemed to have more than our share of it. And it’s often carried out over and over – thanks to political grudges carried for years.
That, we think, sums up what we saw last week as early voting began with yet another spit fight between two men who have served on the Hamilton County Commission and now are vying for the county’s constitutional office of Assessor of Property.
Commission Chairman Randy Fairbanks has accused incumbent Assessor Marty Haynes of improperly lowering the property value of a golf course to help a friend and political supporter save money on property tax. According to Fairbanks, Haynes is behind the more than 28% decrease in assessed value for Creeks Bend Golf Club in Hixson, which was certified just months after Haynes took office in 2016.
Haynes acknowledges that it “looks bad.” But he denies that anything is amiss.
(MORE: Opponent Randy Fairbanks accuses incumbent Marty Haynes of favoring political allies)