Property Appraiser Candidate David Rogers Says People Skills and Experience Make Him Best Qualified

By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

Property Appraiser candidate David Rogers said Friday he has less experience in the appraiser’s office than his two opponents, but his desire is to go back to the department he once worked in, to help people.

Rogers said he worked in the property appraiser’s office for nine years, but for the past 19 years, he has worked in corrections and in law enforcement.

He was asked at the Levy County Republican Executive Committee candidates’ workshop in Cedar Key Friday why he feels he is the best-qualified candidate to hold the position of property appraiser.

“I’m a people person. I’ve got nine years of experience, obviously not as much experience as the other two candidates, but I’m a people person, a well-rounded person. I love our county. I love to help people and I’ve been dealing with other aspects of people for the last 19 years.”

Rogers was asked what the average residential homeowner pays in property taxes annually.

“I don’t have the answer off the top of my head,” Rogers said. “I can tell you how much I pay.” He drew laughter.

He was asked for his opinion of exemptions given to property owners.

“I believe if you have the right to get an exemption you should get it. If you’re a veteran and a homeowner, and you live here you should get your Homestead Exemption, or if you are a widow or a widower you should get that also. Some of the exemptions, if they implement them, would put a burden on the people paying taxes, but I believe if you deserve it, you should get it,” he said.

Parks Wilson, one of the questioners, noted that the other two candidates work in the appraiser’s office but Rogers doesn’t. Rogers was asked if he won the election, how would he deal with the other two people already employed by the appraiser’s office.

“Me and these two guys are good friends for many, many years. We were talking and I said we’ve been good friends for many years. I said we need to continue being good friends win-lose. I said I don’t want that to change the way I feel about them. I consider them still friends,” Rogers said.

Stoney Smith, the other questioner, asked Rogers if the size of the property appraiser’s budget was adequate for the number of staff working in the office. Smith said recalled that other candidates said the budget had gone up due to the purchase of two new trucks this year. Smith asked Rogers to explain what he, as a Republican, thinks about the property appraiser’s budget.

“I can’t tell you what it is, but if you need new vehicles like at the sheriff’s office, you need new vehicles to operate, to go out a check houses and commercial, and agricultural classification. So, if you need it, you need it,” Rogers said.

Smith asked if enough people are working in the property appraiser’s office or if they need more people.

“If you need more, you need to hire more,” Rogers responded. “Put it in your budget. Costs are going up; I know you know how much gas is and everything else. You got to make the people happy.”

Smith tossed out a “what if” question. He said if he owns 40 acres on the east side of the county near all the horse farms and there have been a lot of sales this year for $25,000 to $35,000 an acre, but now the prices have dropped back a bit, how would Rogers assess the value of the 40 acres. Smith asked if Rogers would assess it at its highest point, or assess it at the end of the year, or when he felt like it.

Rogers said the number of sales in that area would affect how the property is assessed.

Smith went back to his previous “what if” question. He repeated that the market was high at one point at the beginning of the year, but it had dropped back a bit. He said if the 40-acre parcel had dropped in value and a buyer didn’t think it worth more than about $8,000 an acre now, how would Rogers appraise it.

Rogers said Smith would have to come in and they would look at the property together, but he said he couldn’t make a judgment without knowing more.