The retirement of Jefferson County Assessor Terry Roesch has triggered a spirited race to replace him in the Nov. 8 election.
Roesch, who is not running for another four-year term, was appointed to the job in late 2010 to succeed Randy Holman, who was appointed to the State Tax Commission by Gov. Jay Nixon. He was elected to the post in 2012.
Democrat Todd W. Melkus of the Hillsboro area, the commercial real estate supervisor under Roesch, is running to replace his boss.
He faces a challenge from Bob Boyer of Arnold, a surveyor who is in the middle of his second term representing District 3 on the Jefferson County Council.
The assessor is paid $81,149 per year.
MELKUS, 33, lives at 5378 Hwy. B, Hillsboro. He is married to Jennifer Melkus. He has worked in the Assessor’s Office for more than a decade in many roles, including residential and commercial real estate, personal property, business personal property and administration.
He received an associate degree from Jefferson College and a bachelor’s degree in public policy and administration from University of Missouri-St. Louis. He was a University of Missouri Extension Council member from 2011-2014, and has been a member of International Association of Assessing Officers since 2010, has been chairman of the De Soto Elks Food Basket Committee since 2016, has been a member of the Hillsboro Community Civic Club since 2007, and has been a member of the State Assessors Association since 2010.
Social media: Website: MelkusforAssessor.com Twitter: @melkusforassessor
BOYER, 43, lives at 2381 Starling Airport Road, Arnold. He and his wife, Misty, have three children. He is a licensed professional land surveyor and project manager for the Sterling Company in south St. Louis County. He received an associate degree from Jefferson College in 2002. In addition to serving on the Jefferson County Council since 2011 (as chairman in 2012 and vice chair in 2015 and 2016), Boyer is a member of White Flag Christian Church and the Missouri Society of Professional Surveyors and its local chapter. He is a board member for GET FIT Transitional Living, a Christian nonprofit organization that provides transitional housing to people in need. He has been a member of the Jefferson County Certified Work-Ready Community Council since 2012.
Social media: Website: ElectBobBoyer.com Facebook: BoyerforAssessor Twitter: @BobBoyer316
What are the assessor’s duties? Why are you qualified to carry them out?
Melkus: The assessor is required to assess and value all real and personal property in his or her county. I have more than 10 years experience within the office. I am qualified as a Missouri certified real estate appraiser and I have completed more than 400 hours of continuing education to maintain my appraisal license. I have gone beyond the scope of my job description to learn every aspect of the assessor’s office. Along with being the commercial real estate supervisor, I am an expert witness at State Tax Commission hearings and value all of railroad and utility properties within the county. I assist the current assessor with the balancing of the annual budget, preparation of the State Tax Commission maintenance plan and software implementation.
Boyer: The assessor keeps track of all real estate and personal property and to value that property for taxing purposes. My experience as a licensed professional land surveyor, County Councilman and taxpayer makes me uniquely qualified for this position. While there are real estate appraisers currently in the office, I will bring my 13 years of experience and professional knowledge of land issues, my leadership skills as a project manager and my history of cutting taxes and spending while serving on the County Council, to make assessments fair and honest, to make the office more efficient and work for you, not against you.
What, if anything, needs to be done to make the assessment process more fair?
Melkus: Assessors operate under strict state laws and Tax Commission guidelines to ensure fair and correct assessments. The most important aspect of the office is the ongoing collection, analysis and use of accurate information for developing valuation tables for assessment purposes. It is impossible for an assessor to fairly and correctly assess real and personal property without access to current market sales and cost data. The office must have knowledgeable staff with the current tools to process and use this data appropriately. Fair and accurate assessments can only be achieved through the use of recognized and accepted mass appraisal techniques. These techniques must be applied across the entire county to achieve uniformity and fairness.
Boyer: State law sets certain minimum standards for assessments. Those minimum standards should be published and easily accessible to the public. Good government requires transparency and honest communication with the public. The one complaint I have heard while on the campaign trail is that the value of a home went down due to the recession, but taxes went up. The next assessor must make sure that values are based on the current real estate market. I will make sure that assessments are fair and honest for both residents and businesses. My door always will be open to the public for questions or concerns about their assessments.
Should the assessor's job continue to be an elected, partisan position? Why or why not?
Melkus: The assessor’s job should be an elected position. I do not agree that one person or council should be able to pick and choose their officials. However, this office should be nonpartisan. It is unfortunate that candidates are judged more by the letter by their name than their experience or qualifications, especially in today’s political atmosphere. Voters should evaluate their candidates as job applicants, because that is what the voters are really doing – electing someone to do a job. People on both sides of the political spectrum should vote for the person, not the party.
Boyer: The assessor, and all other elected positions, should continue to be an elected position. It is important to be accountable to the people, and the only way to do that is through the election process. As we have seen with the former appointed Fox School District superintendent, appointed positions without oversight can sometimes lead to disastrous results. In 2012, I led the charge to make the County Council and County Executive positions nonpartisan as well as enact term limits. I believe in principles, not politics. I am the only candidate in this race who has a proven, conservative record. I also represent traditional principles held by most in Jefferson County by being pro-life, pro-gun rights, and believe that government governs best when it governs the least.
What would you do to improve public access to data controlled by your office?
Melkus: During my time in the Assessor’s Office, we have worked diligently to improve public access and have been very successful. We have public access computers and staff available to assist the public during all hours of operation. We also have a website with current real and personal property assessment data online. There are interactive assessment maps online with a large amount of information available 24 hours a day. I will work to maintain and improve this access as new technology becomes available and continue to add more data to our website. All the data in this office is public record and residents cannot have confidence in an office unless it is open, transparent and easily accessible.
Boyer: The county’s Geographic Information System (GIS) is currently being maintained in part of three county departments. If we combined the resources into one Department of GIS, streamlining the processes and procedures, we can save taxpayer dollars and provide better service. Also, there needs to be a thorough and complete review of the record information used for assessments, from the paper cards used to track property transfers to the aerial imagery in the GIS system. This will require working with other county departments to make sure information is accurate.
Why should voters choose you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Melkus: I ask for voters’ consideration for this position for two main reasons: First, I have the qualifications, experience and knowledge for this office and second, I am not just another politician looking for a job to springboard to the next opportunity. It is important to have someone who is passionate about his job and who is going to work to run the office to the highest level of efficiency. I will make sure that all real and personal properties are fairly and accurately assessed; I will continue to improve data access through our webpage; and I will work to have a voice with the State Legislature concerning issues that will affect taxpayers.
Boyer: I am the only candidate in this race who provides the voters a choice, not an echo. I am uniquely qualified to serve in this role. My goal is for the office to work for you and not against you. I am the only candidate who has a proven, conservative record of treating people with respect and not as revenue-generators. I have watched over tax dollars as if they were my own, protected their rights, freedoms and liberties against overreaches of government and worked hard to make Jefferson County more prosperous and economically successful than it was before. I am the right person to move the office into the 21st century and provide the level of customer service the public deserves.
Do you support your party's nominee for president? Explain why or why not.
Melkus: The presidential election has nothing to do with electing a candidate at the county level. I have campaigned on my qualifications and experience, not those of another candidate. When national politics influence local elections, it is a losing situation for candidates and voters. Voters should look at the candidates as job applicants and make their decision based upon the candidate’s qualifications. We should cast our votes as if we are hiring someone for that position. Regardless of who I vote for as president, I will do my job as assessor and work hard for Jefferson County residents. That said, I support my party’s nominee.
Boyer: Yes, I support Donald Trump for president. The alternative, if elected, would be four more years of the same policies Barack Obama has put in place that have led to more debt, more illegal immigration, less national security, more civil unrest and a continuation of Obamacare, which is a quickly becoming a health care train wreck with its skyrocketing premiums and deductibles. Mrs. Clinton, if elected, could also appoint up to three Supreme Court justices who do not believe in protecting the life of the unborn or our Second Amendment rights and could fundamentally transform the interpretation of the Constitution for generations. That outcome would be disastrous for our country and my children’s future.