YOUR AD HERE »

Brinks: Fixing bad information

To the editor:

I would like to address, with the voters and taxpayers of Moffat County, some of the misconceptions currently being implied about my office, the jobs we perform and the “customer service” we provide to the public.

Comparing the level of customer service required of the treasurer’s office and the assessor’s office is like trying to compare apples and oranges.



You can take an apple and bite right into it, however, the process of eating an orange is much more involved. You must remove the peel and get to the inside before eating the orange. This is similar to the levels of customer service required of the treasurer’s office and the assessor’s office.

It is easy to take someone’s tax payment, smile and then send them to the assessor’s office. This, of course, is the action we want the treasurer’s office to take because they do not understand the entire assessment and appraisal process.



When a taxpayer comes to our office either during protest period or after they receive their tax notice, we take the time to explain the entire assessment and appraisal process. We address their concerns, and then set up a time to inspect the property to make sure we are properly valuing their property.

We check to make sure we have the correct information for their property, i.e. square footage, condition and other inventory items. During the regular protest period, adjustments are made to about 70 percent of the properties.

You may think this is a high number, but you must remember this is mass appraisal. We do not have the staff to inspect every house in Moffat County every year. The purpose of the protest period is to address property owner concerns about the value of their property.

We have also held numerous forums for commercial property owners and for the local Realtors’ association to explain the app-

raisal process. These forums have been very successful and we have received a lot of positive feedback.

I have received numerous letters from people doing research in our office about the high level of assistance provided by my staff. This includes appraisers, land and mineral interest researchers, and private landowners doing research on their own property.

The level of customer service required by the assessor’s office is much greater than that required by the treasurer’s office, and it involves a lot of time educating the public.

A question has been raised about the penalties that are assessed by my office.

Most of the penalties have been assessed to certain oil and gas companies who continually do not report their property accurately. In some cases, these companies have not reported their pipelines for more than 20 years. These penalties have been applied in compliance with state statutes.

Do you think these companies should get away with not reporting their property? Their failure to report accurately places a greater tax burden on you the local taxpayer.

Suzanne Brinks

Moffat County Assessor


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Craig and Moffat County make the Craig Press’ work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.