To the editor

As a taxpayer in Hamilton County, I am grateful to our elected County Board of Supervisors, Rick Young, April Ely and Mary Clausen for their diligence in the responsibilities of this office. One such responsibility is the budget for the General fund levy. Budget preparation for the next fiscal year begins in late fall working with each department head preparing the proposed budget for the coming fiscal year. The supervisors work with our elected county officials to make the most efficient use of the revenues allocated by the state of Iowa and property taxes collected from Hamilton County property owners. At the final general fund budget hearing, the supervisors spoke highly of these officials as they had to make cuts in their respective budgets based on the available revenues, additionally, each supervisor took a 2% salary reduction.

The other Hamilton County budget hearing is for the Assessors Levy held before the Conference Board which is made up of the duly elected Supervisors, Mayors and school boards. I have been troubled by witnessing the arrogant and condescending manner of the only non-elected Hamilton County official, Assessor Brenda Loftus at a recent public Conference Board Hearing. The form of leadership has a trickle down effect as displayed by Deputy Assessor Lindsey Burkhart. Loftus’s and Burkhart’s disrespect for our duly elected Supervisors role and responsibility of budgetary oversight for the Assessors levy as well as the general levy of the county, gives sheer evidence as to why we cannot allow bureaucrats to claim authority beyond their lawful powers. The allegation of the Assessor and Deputy Assessor, that the Board of Supervisors acted fraudulently with regard to the existing 28E agreement in place for Attorney privileges and was non compliant with the Iowa code is false.

This behavior as an unelected bureaucrat, a dominating totalitarian figure who believes she has power to wield ultimate judgement is not only an affront to the duly elected Supervisors BUT also to the taxpayers whose property is assessed for valuation by this very office! Per the Hamilton county Assessor page, “The taxes you pay are proportionate to the value of your property compared to the total value of the taxing district in which your property is located.

This public display of contempt from a non-elected official earning a salary, (not including benefits) of $126,562 from our tax dollars toward those we have duly elected should never be. Clearly this contempt does not stop with her, it is also on display by her deputy at a salary of $94,138 (not including benefits). This is our property tax dollars at work?

We need to reform the Iowa Code to limit this unelected position of elite, entitled County Assessors.

Marcy Bertran

Webster City