Letters to the editor 2-23

The Washoe County Assessor's Office never ceases to amaze me. They simply will not take responsibility for any of their actions.

In response to the county board's decision to remove the 8 percent addition to the land portion of the appellant's IV/CB property because the assessor's office failed to follow the new assessment methods and rules adopted last August, one Mr. Ernie McNeil, Senior Appraiser, emphasized that the board did not place blame on the appraisers.

Incredibly, he went on to justify their actions by stating that "the process is so convoluted that it's impossible to do." Is this cover-your-behind or what?

"Convoluted processes" yield unfair, unequal and illegal assessments!

Why didn't the county assessor's office follow the new methods that were mutually agreed upon by the citizens and taxing authorities and enacted into law last Aug. 4?

The county assessor has consistently said "if you don't like the laws, get them changed." So we did. Now they don't like it.

So, they want to interpret the changes to their own liking and will appeal their position to any taxing authority agency who might listen.

Hopefully, those who hear their appeals will come to the same conclusion as the county boardâ - that the assessor's office be made to follow the law and not be allowed to do whatever they want as has been their practice in the past.

The assessor's office is out of control, as this recent decision makes quite clear. And, where is the oversight?

Mr. McNeil concludes his interview with a warning to "be careful what we wish for" because the appeal was filed only on behalf of those who joined the appeal process. Well, Mr. McNeil, let logic dictate the ultimate answer.

If the county board said the new rules and regulations were not used and, therefore, an 8 percent uplift was not justified for the 1,200 or so people who joined the appeal process, then one might assume that a Board of Equalization at either the county or state level may find that the 8,000 people who did not file an appeal might have been unfairly and unlawfully treated as well.

I think the job of Boards of Equalization are to ensure that fair and uniform treatment of taxpayers is taking place. They might also find that the new rules and regulations were not followed in the rest of Washoe County as well! Me thinks you have a big problem on your hands.



Chuck Otto

Incline Village



Hope for our schools

Merry Thomas picked five wonderful children to answer "Who is your favorite president" in the Bonanza's Friday, Feb. 18, "Word on the Street." Their responses were far more intelligent than ones given to your questions in the past by their elders. I guess there is some hope for our schools.



Jack Rasmussen

Incline Village