By Valerie Baldowski
vbaldowski@henryherald.com

The new chief appraiser for Henry County said his first order of business will be to review properties in the county.

The Henry County Board of Assessors hired Laurence Street on Feb. 26. Street’s first day on the job will be Monday, according to Board Chairman Lloyd Smikle, Sr. Street replaces Ken Voss, who resigned Feb. 26, because his contract was not renewed.

Street has 28 years’ experience in real estate appraisals. Before coming to Henry County, he was the chief appraiser for the Autauga County Revenue Commissioner, in Prattville, Ala., according to Henry officials.

“The office has many responsibilities, and one of the primary functions of any assessor’s office is to value all tangible property at fair market value,” said Street. “I want to check the status of the current re-evaluations, as well as any other projects that have to be completed in a timely manner.”

Street’s short-term goals for the rest of the year will include meeting the staff, and surveying the current needs of his office. “The ongoing goal for 2010 is to complete the tax digest and get it approved by the Georgia Department of Revenue,” he said.

With the present economy, Street said he sees a number of hurdles to overcome.

“The current real estate market continues to be slow, affecting values in a way most real estate professionals have not endured before,” he said. “I think the biggest challenges facing the office will be budget and personnel related. The workload continues to grow, and tax law changes occur for the assessor’s office even in a slow economy. The results make staffing and completing all of the responsibilities of the assessor’s office challenging.”

The task of the assessor’s office is to analyze all real estate sales to interpret the market, then apply those value indicators in an equitable and uniform manner, said Street.

The market drives property values, so market value will be mirrored in the Board of Assessors’ valuations, he added.

Street was chosen from a short list of three candidates, because of his background and experience, said Smikle.

“Mr. Street was chosen because he was the most qualified applicant for the position, with 28 years of experience in the real estate field,” Smikle said. “He was a leader in his previous employment, and will bring effective management experience and organizational skills to the county.”