The underlying principle of our property tax system is that all properties are valued by the assessor so that the property tax burden can be spread as fairly and equitably as possible. The county assessor exists to make that happen. Assessors are elected to ensure their accountability to the citizens who elect them and not to other government bodies or agencies. The Yavapai County Assessor is responsible for running the office in an economical and efficient manner. The taxpayers deserve to have a FULL TIME assessor. Here are things I would like to see done in the Yavapai County Assessor's office: Comparable sales on the assessor website. A comparable sales system should be integrated with the county’s mapping and GIS (Geographic Information System) to generate maps of subject and comparable properties. That system would benefit property owners, assessor staff, and real estate professionals. Neighborhood numbers. Residential properties are grouped and valued by economic areas and neighborhoods. Put the economic area and neighborhood numbers on the property information screen. Explanation of the “Model”. A valuation model is nothing more than variables and values for those variables. Describing what variables are used (main square footage, basement square footage, lot size, design, etc.) is easy to do, as is describing which variables matter more than others. Just as important, it should be clear what variables are not used in the valuation model. Where to go and what to do. A better explanation of the steps involved in the protest process and what should happen at each step. No surprise adjustments at County Board of Equalization or Board of Assessment Appeal hearings. If a variable isn’t used in the valuation model, it should not make a surprise appearance and assume new significance at appeal hearings. Get the story straight. The assessor staff, particularly the appraisers who meet with property owners during the protest and appeal processes need a clear understanding of what the statutes are, what they mean, how the values they are reviewing are calculated, and what evidence provided by a property owner can and should be considered. Continuing the fight. Ensure that the property owner's whose protests are denied know their rights and what they can request and expect from the assessor’s office at the next step in the appeal process. Fix the mistakes fast. Sometimes the valuations in certain subdivisions or areas, or of specific types of properties are simply poorly determined (or calculated). Correct the valuation model and mail out corrected notices of valuation to all property owners affected as soon as the problem is known. Don’t rely on protests alone to fix those problems.