KT: Can you describe what an assessor does and why the voters should care about this election?
CP: Basically the assessor goes out and determines the true value of real and personal property, which is like business, industrial, and commercial properties. Taxes are generated from that determination, like our ad valorem tax. It’s important to the voters because we need to insure properties are properly assessed so that school districts get the proper amount of tax they’re due. There are other county services that depend on that too. So this job is important to generating the tax revenue needed to help run the county.
KT: Can you tell me a bit about your personal work history and why that qualifies you for this position?
CP: I have worked for the assessors office before, about 2003 to 2006, as their mapping supervisor, so I have knowledge in how properties are split, how deeds come in, how subdivisions and tracts are laid out and why it’s necessary to have the correct information input so that correct evaluations of properties can be done.
I’ve also worked at the city for 11 years, as the GIS mapping and floodplain management personnel over there. I constantly use the assessor’s office data so I’m very familiar with the information that we get from them. And I’ve kept in contact with the people who work over there and have a good working relationship with the people in the assessor’s office. I’ve always thought that they’re great to work with.
KT: What makes you more qualified than the other two candidates?
CP: I don’t know much about them. The incumbent has been in there for eight years, so of course she is going to have a lot more working knowledge of what goes on. But I feel with my education, having a degree from Oklahoma State University and a certified floodplain manager, and my background working with multiple different government agencies, I have a working knowledge with the land and dealing with Creek County in general. My experience working in all those different areas will help me in better communicating with people about their land and how it relates to the evaluation process.
KT: Why do you want to be the next county assessor?
CP: It’s something that I’ve wanted to do for the past eight years, it’s just that life has always gotten in the way. I’ve gotten to a point where I’m not getting any younger, and I’ve always wanted to do something like this, I wanted a new challenge. Sometimes you get too comfortable in a job and you start thinking I can do more. I want to take this on as a challenge and help make the country better.
KT: Is there anything else you think voters need to know about you or about this election?
CP: I think that if they were to elect me I would be very easily accessible at all times. I would definitely sit down with any one of them at any time that they would want to talk to me.
I’m fair. The citizen has a right to complain about anything having to do with their land, and if it’s something I can help them with, I am more than happy to do that. You’re not going to make people happy all the time. It’s a job that is dictated by state statutes, so you have to follow the state statutes in order to come up with a correct answer to a tax-payer issue. But I will always be there to listen to them, try to help them, and definitely I am always on their side.
