I’m going to make the assumption that most people my age are not too familiarly with property tax, assessed value, just value and all that jazz. Preston Trigg , Director of Administration and Special Projects, for the most part broke down what was important to know.
I never thought to check property tax for a public official until I heard Trigg say it is one of the first things to look for. If a public official is not paying their taxes and turning around and telling everyone else to it raises a red flag.
I loved the fact he told us the “tricks of the trade”. Some of the things Triggs mentioned were putting the request in writing for a personal record. However, he made sure to warn that once we submit a request in writing that too becomes public record and a competitor could find out what we are trying to request. Also asking for the any costs up front is important. If you put a request in not knowing the cost you could be stuck with an expensive bill in the end.
I’ll be honest after the presentation I promptly went home and looked up by parents and Doug Belden’s (my profile assignment) property tax. I was a little disappointed to find that both of their taxes were in check. The fact that it was so easy to look up someone’s property tax amazed me. I just want to drive around and write down addresses just to check on them.
Knowing about this particular public record can be very useful for future reporting. Even though this record could be irrelevant in most cases involving Joe Schmo, I learned that anytime a story involves a public official or someone of importance it is vital to use this public record.
Trigg’s presentation was very helpful to further my knowledge on public records and I am looking forward to future visits to learn more.
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