Baileyton Officials,

Road District

Commissioners

Are Unopposed

ByTOM YANCEY

Staff Writer

Greene County Assessor of Property Ralph Bowers, one of several local candidates for county office who ran unopposed, garnered 3,588 complimentary votes in Thursday's county general election.

Bowers was the only local candidate who was on the ballot in all precincts. A total of 4,891 votes were cast in the congressional primaries of both parties, which obviously also were on all ballots.

After unofficial returns were released on Thursday night, Bowers said he wished to thank the voters.

"It's very humbling to receive that many complimentary votes, especially after the [state-mandated property] reappraisal," Bowers said.

He said the vote "gives me an incentive to go back out and work hard for the people for the next four years. I think it shows that the people have confidence in me."

Bowers operated a dairy farm near Rheatown for more than 30 years before being elected county assessor in 2004, and now raises beef cattle. He carried every precinct in 2004, defeating Clifford Williams, a Democrat, 3,871 to 1396.

Prior to that, Bowers had unsuccessfully challenged former assessor and now state Rep. Eddie Yokley, D-11th, in a close race for the office. Bowers also ran unsuccessfully for register of deeds in the 1996 GOP primary.

Greene County went through the fifth year of its reappraisal cycle in 2008, and property values in the county were raised an average of 30 percent.

Greene County has a total of 42,926 properties, he said.

"I don't have any say-so over the taxes," Bowers emphasized. In the assessor's office, "We appraise. We don't tax," he said.

Bowers said this five-year reappraisal cycle showed the biggest increase in values that he can remember, as someone who has watched the process closely.

The county assessor said Friday that many people were shocked when they received their first notice of the increase in the appraised value of their property in a postcard from his office.

He said he is hopeful that announcement of the lower certified rate expected to be adopted by the Greene County Commission would "cushion the shock" of individual increases, since higher property values will be taxed at lower rates.

Bowers said most people who came to his office to contest values assigned to their property went away understanding the process better, if not happier.

Despite being shocked, most property owners "were real nice," Bowers said.

State law required using values from 2007, Bowers noted, when those values were about as high as they have ever been.

Road Commissioners Re-Elected

Greene County elects three road-district commissioners, and all three ran unopposed after running unopposed in the Republican primary.

Charles Hopson, of Graystone, who serves the 1st District, received 1,280 votes in the GOP primary, and 845 votes in the general election.

Billy Darnell, of the White Sands community, who serves the 2nd District, received 1,247 votes in the GOP primary, and 842 votes in the general election.

Harold R. Smith, a Mosheim alderman who serves the 3rd District, received 1,110 votes in the GOP primary, and 772 votes in the general election.

The road districts are divided equally by population, which means that the road miles are unequal.

Road district commissioners are responsible for being knowledgeable about the condition of roads in their districts. They report to the road superintendent, and have some supervisory responsibilities, under his direction.

Baileyton Election

The town of Baileyton also had an election.

Incumbent Mayor Tommy Casteel was unopposed for re-election and received 19 complimentary votes.

Alderman Ken Bailey and Alderman J.D. Sensabaugh were also unopposed in seeking re-election. Bailey received 19 votes and Sensabaugh received 17.