To the Editor,
I confess that I am one of those people that does not closely follow politics. This year’s auditor’s race in Athens County is particularly important to me, however. Jill Thompson is up for re-election and I want to make sure she stays in office. Here is why: Jill and her team help me to do my job better every single day. I am a personal and commercial lines insurance agent, and I rely on her accurate and complete property records to finish quotes and write policies regularly. When I can get information that has already been gathered, I save time and money. Everything goes more smoothly. I am not alone. Many other professionals in our county, including mortgage brokers, real estate agents, accountants, appraisers, surveyors and you, the homeowner, taxpayer, buyer and seller need accurate, complete and up to date information to make decisions and process good business transactions on an ongoing basis.
I believe any one of us who uses online property records can verify that surrounding counties’ information portals pale in comparison to the online property records that Jill Thompson provides. Not only are Jill’s records most complete with full information and details, they’re also largely accurate. If you are skeptical, go online and take a look for yourself. In my experience, Meigs County’s website is inaccurate and incomplete in many cases. Washington County’s, while being accurate, does not include as much information about properties. Sadly, Hocking County’s website is often nearly indecipherable.
Now I will admit that online records are not the whole story. That being said, I can testify that contacting the auditor’s office for information that does not appear online is simple. Further, when we as professionals do find discrepancies, it is very easy to report these to Jill’s office for correction. Her staff is helpful, and they strive for accuracy as well.
Having complete and accurate information is what I consider to be the most important part of the auditor’s job, and Jill Thompson is, in my opinion, very good at it. Her services are highly important to my success, and frankly, I’m not willing to give that up. That’s why I support Jill Thompson, and it’s why I hope Athens County voters to keep her in office.
Jackie Collins is an Athens-based insurance agent
