Cole County Assessor Chris Estes needs to do a much better job of determining property values - then reducing those values countywide because property values are falling nationally.
That's the opinion of Jefferson City resident Dennis Morrissey, who told Estes in an e-mail late last month: "According to the National Association of Realtors, the average (mean) housing price in the Midwest has dropped each year since 2008. ... It appears our real estate market is down just like everywhere else.
"It seems to me, we should be seeing these changes reflected in our property values."
However, Estes said, Cole County's property values are assessed as required by state law, and Morrissey - and other residents with the same complaint - are making assumptions based on factors that don't apply to any assessor's job.