Coons certified as property appraiser

To The Eagle:

I would like to encourage the voters of Wahkiakum County to elect Bill Coons as our County Assessor.

Who could be more in touch with the “Fair Market Value” of our real estate than a realtor who makes their living knowing the local market? Bill believes in realistic valuation not wishful thinking-your assessed value should be the amount of money you could expect to get in the current market within several months time. He has served on the Board of Equalization hearing taxpayer appeals of property values and has recently stepped down from that position to pursue the assessor’s position. If elected, Bill will place his real estate license on inactive status and devote his full time and energy to the position of Wahkiakum County Assessor.

Bill Coons has already taken and passed at his own expense and time, the Washington state certification to become a property appraiser. Our current assessor had promised to obtain this education if elected four years ago and according to state records still has not obtained the qualifications. Bill Coons is dedicated to gaining as much knowledge as possible so he can best serve the citizens of the county and has shown great initiative in being ready to start as soon as we elect him! It looks like real action and results, not rhetoric to me!

Property values are not a partisan issue in Bill’s mind so he is running as an independent. I respect that! Running as an independent means he doesn’t benefit from the endorsement of the local Democratic Party, which he has invested much into over the years, but also doesn’t “enslave” him to them in other issues. Bill is an independent thinker and will stand up for what he knows is right not just follow blindly.

Being in real estate for years, Bill knows how quickly values can change. He will institute annual valuations and keep pace with changes in the market allowing us to pay taxes on a realistic value. With his background in computer engineering and business, it should be an easy transition for him to finish the computerization needed.

I encourage you to join me in voting for Bill Coons for County Assessor as he is clearly the more qualified candidate, independent of political influence, and has shown that he will work hard for the citizens of Wahkiakum County.

Doug Martin

Puget Island