This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Feb. 17, 2011 - Jake Zimmerman, the Democratic nominee for St. Louis County assessor, promised today that -- if elected April 5 -- he would first conduct "a full review of systems and processes in the office'' to make sure that property assessments are conducted fairly and accurately.
But Zimmerman acknowledged in a conference call with reporters that the assessor has little power over property tax rates, which are set by governmental bodies -- including schools, municipalities and fire districts.
"This office has very little control over what people's taxes are,'' Zimmerman said. "I don't think it's my place to talk about these other entities."
"I can't wave a magic wand and change the tax structure in St. Louis County."
Zimmerman acknowledged that some county voters may have supported the idea of an elected assessor because of the perception, right or wrong, that such a person could automatically lower their tax bills.
The impact that the assessor does have, he said, was in setting the market value for a piece of property -- a figure that is used in helping to set the final tax assessment. "When the value of your home goes down, so should your assessment," he said.
Zimmerman added that one of the assessor's jobs also should be to educate the public on what the office can -- and cannot -- do regarding their tax bills.
The occasion was Zimmerman's unveiling of his proposal -- called the F.A.I.R. (Fair, Accountable, Independent, Responsive) Plan -- for running the office.
Zimmerman reaffirmed his earlier pledge of "no 'drive-by assessments.' " He also said that employees will comply with state law mandating a physical inspection of property every six years.
He said he also would focus on making sure that, if a property owner successfully challenges an assessment figure, that the revised values are properly recorded in the county's computer database so the mistake is not repeated the next year.
Zimmerman said his goal, if elected, would be to make sure that the public "walks away feeling they got a fair shake.''
"St. Louis County families deserve an assessor who is fair, accountable, independent and responsive to them," said Zimmerman. "Homeowners should know that I am committed to providing fair and accurate assessments for all, whether their home is worth $50,000 or $5 million."
Zimmerman is currently a state representative and cited his efforts, so far unsuccessful, to win passage of a measure to restrict tax hikes on elderly homeowners.
Zimmerman is competing against Republican L.K. "Chip" Wood, who heads a real estate firm. The victor April 5 will be the county's first elected assessor, as a result of voter action last year.
Zimmerman's news release today outlining his promises and plans made no mention of the fact that he is a Democrat, a point further underscored by his declaration that "there is not a Democratic way or a Republican way to assess a home."
And it appears that County Executive Charlie Dooley, a fellow Democrat, will be playing a low-key role in the contest. When asked this week whether he'll be campaigning for Zimmerman, Dooley demurred and replied, "I'll vote."
