County Assessor Connie Smith Runs for New Term
Tom Morton, Townsquare Media
Natrona County Assessor Connie Smith will seek a four-year term to continue her work as the overseer of the value of commercial, residential and personal properties.
Smith, a Republican, was appointed to the position after the resignation of former Assessor Susan DeWitt a year ago, she said.
"I thoroughly enjoy what I'm doing," she said. "I love working with the public."
The assessor's primary responsibility consists of discovering, listing, and valuing all real and taxable personal property including commercial real property, personal property and residential property, according to the assessor department website.
The taxes paid on that valuation affects the revenues, budgets for the state and local governments, schools and special districts.
The county's total assessed valuation for the 2013 fiscal year was $1,255,227,453, and estimates are similar for 2014, she said. "All I can tell you it will be close to that."
Smith touts her experience, including her state-certified responsibilities, as her primary qualification for being elected, she said.
"I've been in the office for 27 years, I was the office manager for many of those years, so I've already dealt with many aspects of the office," Smith said.
Smith intends to share that experience with her staff with more training, she said.
"I hope to be able to further the education and send more people to classes so that we can not have any gaps in the office at all," she said.
Smith is not aware of any challengers for the assessor so far, she added.