Dotty Bartels retiring after 26 years with county

■ Editor’s note: A farewell open house is planned for county officials leaving their positions Dec. 12 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the courthouse.

Dotty Bartels has been the Chase County Assessor for 26 years, and will be retiring after this term.
    “It has been a very satisfying experience to serve the people of Chase County,” she said.
    Bartels’ predecessor had left the position mid-term and she was appointed as assessor in September 1996.
    Bartels was first elected to the assessor’s position on the ballot in 1998, and has served continuously since then.
    The function of the assessor is the evaluation of all properties for tax purposes. Agriculture and commercial properties are evaluated every three years and residential properties every two years.
    The commercial property appraisals are done by a private appraisal company. The properties are valued by the sales-driven values within Chase County.
    In the last two years there were 98 residential sales in Chase County. When those residences are later valued for tax purposes they will be assessed at 92 to 100% of value. Property values are set by March 19 and those figures are sent to the county clerk.
    The clerk then sends out notices to property owners on upcoming tax estimates. Actual property taxes are sent out in December. Tax revenue goes to the County Treasurer.
    Property owners are also notified they can dispute assessments within a time frame to the Board of Equalization.
    According to Bartels, the city of Imperial has grown with residential properties and commercial buildings, improvements and additions of properties.
    Sales of agriculture properties in Chase County are a positive dynamic in values overall that make for a community to be proud of, she added.
    Bartels said she had previous administrative experience when first appointed by the commissioners, but learning everything involved with the assessor’s office is a process.
    “It’s learning the components of the job but also the people in a cooperation of what we do,” she said.
    “Everyone I have worked with—my clerk of 17 years, Christy Stinnette, my deputy, Terrie State, and the people of the other offices in the building have been such a pleasure and made for a good working experience,” she said.
    Working in the office and going out into the field to look at properties is a nice mix of daily activity, she added. Property sales and home improvements factor in when assessing values, but there are other criteria that influences value, as well.
    “When a person becomes proficient in pleasant and important work you want to stay with it, but after 26 years it’s time to move on, so I chose to not be on the ballot this last election, and I will be succeeded by Tori Mueller,” she said.
    “What I enjoyed best about my job has been serving the people. I interact with many people on various levels on a daily basis,” she said.
     Bartels served as president of the Assessor’s Association of Nebraska in 2005. The person in that position organizes the two annual workshops for assessors that are part of the 60 hours of ongoing training required during an assessor’s four-year term.
    Bartels lives with her family on a farm south of Wauneta and will soon have more time to spend with her great granddaughter, she said.