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Veteran officeholder Donald Schoeff seeks GOP nomination as assessor

Donald Schoeff.
Photo provided.

Three candidates are competing for the Republican nomination for the position of Huntington County Assessor.

Joan Stoffel and Donald Schoeff are going up against incumbent Terri Boone for the position.

The assessor is responsible for determining the assessed value of all properties in the county and to confirm those values with the county auditor. The assessor also handles taxpayer property assessment appeals. The assessor only establishes the value of the property and has nothing to do with the tax rate.

One of those candidates is Donald Schoeff.

Donald Schoeff
Age: 67
Address: Huntington
Current occupation: Huntington County Council
Memberships: Knights of Columbus, Masonic Lodge, Scottish Rite, Shrine Club, Fraternal Order of Police, Association of Indiana Counties, International Association of Assessing Officers, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
Party affiliation: Republican.
Political experience: County Commissioner, eight years; County Auditor, eight years; County Council, two years; Andrews Town Council, three years.

What are your qualifications for the office that you seek?

I have a Real Estate Broker License, a former member of the National Association of Real Estate Appraisers, Certified Level 1 and Level 2 assessor and 60 hours toward Level 3 assessor, a member of the International Association of Assessing Officers and a member of Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals.

How can you, as an elected official, help local government operate efficiently as revenues decline?

Make sure that the assessed value is fair, equitable, accurate and on time. Communicate with other office-holders in the taxing process, reduce the number of errors, create a more accurate figure of income, improve the budget process and more closely monitor the assessor and reassessment budgets to reduce and control waste.

Aside from budget woes, what do you see as the major challenge facing the office you seek? How would you meet that challenge?

Appeals, correction of errors and mathematical adjustments - each of these create a shortfall in total income for each government unit. In addition, when these changes are made, there is money refunded which makes an even greater shortfall.

There is a great need for the assessor's office to make sure that the number of errors that cause this shortfall be eliminated. It is necessary for the assessor to review the contracted work and make sure those errors stop.

The assessor function is the first domino in a long line - it must fall first, fall on time and in the right direction in order for the entire process to work properly. I will bring that quality control to that office.

For information about the other candidate for this office click on the government link on the left side of this page.