The office of assessor was created by the provisional government in 1844. The Legislative Assembly decreed that assessments were to be made by the sheriff in 1845. The contradictions were eliminated in 1850 when the assessor was authorized to make assessments and the sheriff was authorized to collect taxes. Beginning in the 1970s, responsibility for collecting taxes was transferred from the sheriff to the assessor, treasurer, or tax collector. Now, no sheriffs collect taxes in Oregon.
The assessor, elected to four year-terms, assesses the value of taxable property and enters that information into assessment and tax rolls. The assessor certifies tax levies and delivers tax rolls to the tax collector for collection. The office also maintains property ownership records and maps, receives budgets, and extends levies to other taxing districts such as library and sewage. The state, through statutes and administrative rules, sets most of the parameters related to the procedures involved in the assessment of property taxes in Oregon.
The above was excerpted from: http://arcweb.sos.stat.or.us/pages/records/local/county/about/centext/offices.html
The first Josephine County Assessor took office on July 7, 1856.
Those who have served are:
One Year Terms – Beginning July 1856 |
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1856-1858 |
J. W. Meredith |
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1858-1859 |
Daniel Lonergan |
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1859-1860 |
William Jacoby |
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1860-1861 |
James Hendershote |
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1861-1863 |
J. C. Roberts |
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Two Year Terms – Beginning July 1865 |
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1863-1867 |
W. N. Saunders |
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1867-1869 |
B. F. Sloan |
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1869-1870 |
R. E. Foley |
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(served one year of a two year term) |
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1870-1872 |
E. N. Tolin |
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1872-1874 |
T. G. Patterson |
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1874-1876 |
John Taylor |
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1876-1878 |
J. P. Lewis |
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1878-1880 |
T. G. Patterson |
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1880-1882 |
Frank Desslinger |
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1882-1884 |
J. T. Bryan |
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1884-1886 |
J. P. Lewis |
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1886-1887 |
J. T. Bryan |
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1887-1890 |
P. C. Ream |
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1890-1892 |
C. E. Harmon |
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1892-1894 |
J. S. Denise |
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1894-1896 |
C. M. State |
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Two Year Terms – Beginning Jan. 1, 1897 |
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1897-1898 |
Eclus Pollock |
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1899-1900 |
Thomas Smith |
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1901-1902 |
Charles Crow |
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1903-1904 |
W. H. Fallen |
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Four Year Terms – Beginning Jan. 1, 1905 |
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1905-1908 |
W. H. Fallen |
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1909-1920 |
Eclus Pollock |
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1921-1932 |
D. O. Hayes |
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1933-1940 |
James J. McFadden |
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1941-1960 |
Merle Griffin |
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(longest serving Assessor to date) |
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1961-1964 |
Donald E. Jones |
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1965-1968 |
Walton T. White |
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1969-1972 |
Fred A. Dayton Sr. |
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1973-1980 |
George E. Trahern |
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1981-Feb 1986 |
James A. Elbel |
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(resigned during 2nd term) |
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March 1986-June 1995 |
Leon G. “Mickey” Rhodes |
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(resigned during 3rd term) |
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July 1995-1999 |
George E. Trahern |
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2000-2008 |
Michael L Schneyder |
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2009-Present |
Constance L Roach |
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(first female Josephine County Assessor) |
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