Assessing the Assessment Story
The Journal Gazette had a story about assessment problems in Cedar Creek township. It implies Tom Yoder is incompetent in the township's assessor position.
The story brings up some good questions about what is going on in Cedar Creek property taxes. But the timing of the story smells like the newspaper is interfering with the primary for that position.
This was not a "breaking-news" story. This was a story that could have been told at any time in the past month. Had it been as little as two weeks ago it would have allowed the public to investigate whether this is a bigger problem or one that is solely Mr. Yoder's. By waiting until the week before the primary the newspaper did the public a disservice by not allowing that process to happen.
Mr. Yoder was quoted by saying that this was probably a county-wide problem due to understaffing. But that angle to the story does not appear to have had any followup.
Due to the timing and the incomplete investigation into the matter one has to wonder if the newspaper is trying to railroad Mr. Yoder.
The story brings up some good questions about what is going on in Cedar Creek property taxes. But the timing of the story smells like the newspaper is interfering with the primary for that position.
This was not a "breaking-news" story. This was a story that could have been told at any time in the past month. Had it been as little as two weeks ago it would have allowed the public to investigate whether this is a bigger problem or one that is solely Mr. Yoder's. By waiting until the week before the primary the newspaper did the public a disservice by not allowing that process to happen.
Mr. Yoder was quoted by saying that this was probably a county-wide problem due to understaffing. But that angle to the story does not appear to have had any followup.
Due to the timing and the incomplete investigation into the matter one has to wonder if the newspaper is trying to railroad Mr. Yoder.
posted by Indiana Pundit at 1:52 AM
2 Comments:
Two things:
1. All rapidly growing townships are understaffed for assessing purposes. Perry and Cedar Creek are the worst off. It's a fact - they have more parcels...and more parcels being improved as farmland is turned into nondescript "Fort Wayne brown" houses...to work on than other townships per assessing staffer.
2. Tom Yoder is not a good assessor. Really, he's not.
Two Things:
1. Tom Yoder has not only cleaned up the mess left by former assessor Jake Bridges and employee Lori Hammonds, he has also lowered the taxes in Cedar Creek.
2. Tom Yoder is a great assessor just like his father Donald Yoder.
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