Gary Perez
I was hopeful that I could remain a silent bystander in the race for Doña Ana County assessor. After all, I am not running for any political office in this election, and I am term-limited in the race for assessor.
However, a recent article aimed at me and filled with inaccuracies, misinformation and assumptions, posted on this web site and written by Tyson Murphy, Republican candidate for county Assessor, no longer allows me to remain silent. I will not sit idly by and allow Murphy to attack my office, the employees, or my record as a two-term elected official.
Either he is misinformed or willingly misrepresenting facts, but Murphy clearly does not understand that there will be instances where the current “true” market value in 2010 will be different than the assessed value of 2010. The assessed 2010 notice of value reflects the 2009 market value, per N.M. statutes. Since many properties have been losing value in the past two to three years, it only makes sense that in some cases the assessor’s value in 2010 would be higher than the true market value in 2010.
Murphy insinuates that my office does not stay current with market values when in fact this year we reduced values on 8,790 properties. In fact, our taxable value essentially only increased in 2010 due to new construction that was completed in 2009.
Improved residential properties (properties with dwellings) must be increased up to 3 percent over the prior year’s value if the assessed value is not yet at the full market value for the property. Except for the past two years, these are the increases that were most often occurring in our tax base and are the result of the cap value law that became effective in 2001. We follow this law under NMSA 7-36-21.2.
For example
If the assessor’s value is, say, $100,000 in 2009, but its true market value in the same year was say $125,000, it must be re-appraised but cannot increase by more than 3 percent, or $3,000. Therefore, the 2010 assessed value should be no more than $103,000.
If the true market value decreases in the next year down to, say, $110,000, then the assessor’s value is still not at the true market value and will at most go to $106,100 in 2011.
If the true market value continues to decrease in 2011 below $106,100, then in 2012 the value should be reduced to that value. Murphy can say what he wants, but my office and my appraisers have upheld the law and done the job I was sworn to and they are employed to do. Murphy makes it sound like he can do differently, although doing so would be against the law. Andy Segovia, on the other hand, actually understands the law.
Our office informs property owners when the notices of valuation will be sent out, as well as the deadline dates for protesting property values. We encourage every property owner to protest their valuation if they feel it is incorrect. After all, our assessment is only an opinion of value, and no one person or employee is perfect. But we are trained. And we do good work.
During the protest process, I am available, as are my chief deputy and my employees, to anyone who walks into our office with questions regarding their valuation.
Not a candidate for chief deputy assessor
In his diatribe, Murphy describes his reasons for entering the race for assessor, and he makes it sound like he was in this race from the beginning. But on February 6, 2010, the Las Cruces Sun News printed a press release stating his intentions to run for District 1 county commissioner. When that field got crowded, he decided to run for the assessor’s position instead as the only Republican.
So, why did he originally intend to run for commissioner, and why did he pull out? Too crowded?
Murphy’s piece also speculates that I will be appointed as chief deputy assessor if Andy Segovia is elected. Although Andy has told me that he considers me to be the best-qualified person for the position if he is elected, I am not a candidate. If Murphy had asked, I’d have told him, but that would have required checking the facts.
For the record, my wife works in Albuquerque, and my intentions are to live with her. I sacrificed living with my wife on a daily basis because of my commitment to my elected position. Murphy should – yet again – get his facts straight.
Certification, software purchase
Murphy also mentions that fewer than half of the appraisers in my office have been certified by the N.M. Property Tax Division. He fails to mention that it is not a state-mandated requirement for them to be certified. It has been our goal for all of them to become certified, and that process is in place.
He also didn’t tell you that it takes four appraisal classes to become certified and that the classes offered by the state are usually only conducted once per year, which means that it can take up to four years to get certified. Murphy is misinforming you again.
Murphy criticizes my office for the purchase of the “Applogix” software. Our office does use appraisal software, but it is no longer called “Sigma.” The company was sold to “Manatron” more than three years ago.
Murphy asserts that because Sigma was developed more than 20 years ago, it may be outdated. Their applications were updated frequently and it worked well for our office. However, about six years ago I decided to look for another software provider since I had heard rumors about Sigma selling and I was fearful that the company would not stay in business. Turns out that Sigma remained in business and was successful enough to be sold to Manatron.
During this time of uncertainty we purchased new appraisal software from a company called “Applogix.” This company made promises and goals they did not keep. We documented all their progress and kept in contact with them on a daily basis. We were at a stage near the completion and conversion of their software; however, their company, along with thousands of others in our nation, went out of business in 2006. I can only speculate that it was due to the recession.
They did not respond to our calls, or to any correspondence sent by our county attorney. Wisely, we continued to utilize “Manatron” rather than going through with the conversion. They never delivered a finished product to our county, and they did the same thing to four other New Mexico counties.
The matter was turned over to our county attorney. Now Murphy wants to place blame on Andy Segovia and me for the company going out of business. Really?
The bottom line
I’ll make a deal: If Murphy will stop spreading lies and misinformation, I’ll stop telling the truth about him.
Andy Segovia is my choice for county assessor, because he’s honest and informed and he’s done a good job. I’ve had eight years to watch him grow into the job, and a few weeks to witness Murphy’s pathetic campaign of lies. And I trust the voters of Doña Ana County to make the right choice.
Perez is the outgoing Doña Ana County assessor.