Berry and Wilson run for assessor
Incumbent Jama Berry faces challenger Kim Wilson for the Ozark County Assessor’s position in the Aug. 6 Primary Election. Both are on the Republican ballot.
The assessor is charged with several administrative and statutory duties; however, the primary duty and responsibility is to assess all real property within their jurisdiction (except that which is otherwise provided by law). The responsibility includes residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural classes of property.
According to the Ozark County Assessor’s website:
“The Assessor’s job is to place value on all taxable real and personal property, within the county as of January 1st, the assessment date set by the State Statute. All county assessors’ offices are regulated and overseen by the Missouri State Tax Commission. Monthly visits by field representatives and annual spot reviews of properties, aid them in evaluating the Assessor’s compliance with the statue requirements. This includes real estate and personal property of all individuals and businesses.
“The assessed value, as determined by the Assessor’s office, is a percentage of the market value of the property. The assessment percentage is set by state law and determined by the classification of the property. The classification and assessment rates of real property include Agricultural 12%, Residential 19% and Commercial properties at 32%.
“The assessed property value is one part of the formula in determining property taxes, with the other factor being a tax rate or levy, which is determined by the various taxing entities and jurisdictions. These include thirteen separate school districts, eight road districts, ten cities, nine fire districts and nine other miscellaneous levy districts such as ambulance, senior citizens, junior college, etc. Presently Ozark County receives no property tax levy for operations, depending on sales tax for day to day funding. Shopping locally within the County is the best way to keep your taxes low while maintaining the level of service we all expect and depend upon.”
To qualify to run for the assessor position, candidates must be a resident of Ozark County.
The salary for the position is $42,242, per year, and the winning candidate will begin her new term on Sept. 15, 2025.
The Ozark County Assessor’s office is located in the basement of the Ozark County Courthouse and is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday with the exception of noon to 12:30, when the office is closed for lunch, and county holidays. Find out more by visiting ozarkcountyassessor.com, calling 417-679-4705 or emailing ozarkcountyassessor1@yahoo.com.
Jama M. Berry
Incumbent candidate for assessor
Personal information:
I live in Brixey, on our multi-generational family farm. My family includes my fiancé, Todd Wilbanks. Together we have five grown kids: Kursten (Suter) Hamm, her husband Brad, Westley Suter, his wife Taylor, Brett, Mason (Shyanna) and Ella Wilbanks. We have one granddaughter Gentry Suter and five grandsons Colt, Cord and Coe Hamm, and Bennett and Bo Wilbanks. My parents Jerry and Kay Doubek.
Employment history:
I have spent the past 11 years as YOUR Ozark County Assessor, attending trainings, conferences and doing the daily tasks that it takes to fill the position.
There are too many to list completely, but some of the duties include budgeting, reading deeds, mapping the deeds, assessing personal property, measuring structures, assessing real property to determine the values, data entry of the assessments, structure sketching, sales analysis of the property changes in the county, market studies, and interacting with the State Tax Commission monthly, sometimes on a daily basis.
Before I came to work in the assessor’s office I was in asset protection management at Walmart for 10+ years, doing everything from budgeting, scheduling, managing several employees, sales analysis, researching internal theft, and external theft and apprehending shoplifters.
Between the two positions, I have over two decades of managerial experience.
Educational background:
I am a graduate of Gainesville High School and attended the Lifetime Learning Real Estate School: September 1993.
Courses I have taken that directly relate to this position are:
• IAAO course 101-fundamentals of real property appraisal: September 2013
• Basic appraisal approach: September 2014
• Residential cost, listing and valuation and sales ratio and analysis: February 2015
• Building a house from footings to ridge cap: September 2015
• Valuation of high-end residential properties: September 2017
• IAAO cadastral mapping 602: May 2018
• Low-end and difficult residential props; mass appraisal analysis; residential quality: September 2018
• Personal property and leadership workshops: September 2021
• IAAO course 201: valuation of land, building a bias, defining and measuring obsolescence in personal property, what’s going on in commercial real estate, following the market during covid and performance management essential in a crisis: September 2023.
Biggest challenges facing the position:
Keeping assessed values at a minimum while staying compliant with the state tax commission is an everyday challenge. We will continue to stay up on buildings that are depreciating, to reduce values for taxpayers and at the same time capture any new structures and/or remodels to remain consistent with assessing real estate in order to reflect market values.
There have been multiple times that the State Tax Commission has contacted me wanting the values raised over all, and we consistently battle to keep them as low as possible.
I constantly look for ways to walk the thin line between them and us. If we fall out of their compliance, they will cut the funding from our office and we would not be able to operate.
It's a challenging situation at times, but we have managed to maintain both sides by making minimum changes.
I am experienced with this, and I will continue to find ways to keep our assessed values as low as possible for the Ozark County taxpayers.
Greatest strengths of county:
We have a great group of office holders in the Ozark County Courthouse who truly work together and network well. If one office needs help the others are always willing to step in and help for the greater good of the County, and the taxpayer.
What distinguishes you from your opponent:
Experience, career training and education. I have the experience of standing up to the State Tax Commission when they have consistently wanted to raise property values. I have enjoyed the opportunity to work in, and for my community. I am proud of the things I have done to improve the efficiency of our Assessors Office in the last 11 years, and I look forward to continued improvement in the years to come. I will continue to ensure that everyone gets fair, consistent and equal treatment. I believe everyone deserves that.
Kim Wilson
Candidate for assessor
Personal information:
I am proud to be born and raised in the OZARKS. My pioneer family of over 200 years in Missouri (pre-statehood) traveled by covered wagon through Tennessee and Kentucky via Virginia in the early 1800s (Rockbridge, original Ozark County seat). They settled in southern Mo. and northern Arkansas (Ozark mountains). Raised 3 sons, grandchildren here. I am an Ozarks DAR member. My main hobby is history, genealogy, Missouri geography. I am one generation (parents) short of living here since 1820s.
Believe in constitutional conservative. My passions and interests involve various community service organizations such as fire departments and garden club.
My love of nature, water and the outdoors. It is a “paradise on Earth” here.
Employment history:
My family background are business owners and teachers. The last 30-plus years I have acquired skills and education in accounting management, personnel.
In the last 5 years, I am a court monitor for MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) and a victims’ advocate here in Ozark County. So people may have “seen” or met me.
It is because of personal life experience I hope to help others as I had been to those in the legal system.
Educational background:
Still in the OZARKS, attended school in Springfield, Missouri.
Attended and graduated from Drury and MSU with communication management, accounting, business law and real estate.
Have recently acquired Victim Advocate certificate.
Biggest challenges facing the position:
First, biggest challenge is “fair for all.”
I feel there are obvious problems.
There are many considerations for the value of a property and the resultant assessment. Too often a “cookie cutter” general approach either results in an undervalued or overvalued property.
The next challenge is (almost) a lot of people think their taxes are too high. And if they are not, not “bringing” that to the assessor’s attention to change.
To deal with, more contact and/or online platform to get feedback from Ozark County citizens.
Encourage more to educate and inform of changes.
Possibly form an advisory citizens committee to include realtors and appraiser to have a more accurate database for property values.
Ozark County is quite spread out, very rural, so realize that is a challenge.
Greatest strengths of county:
The greatest strengths of our county is that it has maintained its farmland and rural setting.
It’s also recreational/sportsman mecca with its lakes and rivers.
It’s been able to preserve our natural assets.
Believe should maintain the balance of our “nature paradise” with “tourism.”
Believe it is possible and should continue doing. Can still be profitable.
What distinguishes you from your opponent:
I am entrepreneurial.
• more seasoned with multiple nationwide business
• experience in the development, operation and accounting services for real estate and land management
• passionate for fairness. I have dedicated the majority of time in the last 5 years as a victim advocate to help others. I intend to use this passion to balance value and assessment in Ozark County and be fair for ALL.
• Born and raised with hard-working ethics. Believe in success in life.
As an elected county official, treat all with courtesy, kindness and respect. Remembering the “public” and residents are the “bosses.”
I realize my opponent has been doing this for last 20-25 years. I know it is a very complicated job to do, and as people, we can’t always do a “perfect” job with no mistakes.
I am qualified for this county position and several other positions. I would donate for the next four years over half (50%) of the salary to help pay and keep the remaining century farm acreage to family members before sold to a non-family member.