MOUNDSVILLE — Marshall County Assessor’s Office field deputies will visit residential, commercial and exempt properties in three county districts beginning this month to the end of the year for state-mandated in-person data collection.

Seven field deputies will visit parcels in the districts of Cameron, Union and Washington beginning in April and lasting through December.

They will also review new construction and public utility properties throughout the county.

The residential and commercial properties in the three districts that will be visited this year are based on a three-year cycle that the Marshall County Assessor’s Office must turn into the state tax department for approval. State code requires field deputies to visit each property in the county once every three years to inspect whether any changes have been made to the property that could impact its assessed value.

Marshall County Assessor Eric Buzzard said their inspections would ensure the assessor’s office’s records are “as accurate as possible” so residents are assessed for “their fair share.” He said the office considers multiple factors when determining a property’s value, including its location, the type of construction and work performed on it and its condition.

Buzzard said field deputies typically look for additions to a property that increase its property value, which impacts its assessed value. He noted that field deputies do not assess upgrades for “general maintenance,” such as a new roof or siding.

“The field deputies are verifying our records that we use in the assessment process,” Buzzard said. “We will verify to make sure you haven’t built a new garage, torn down a garage or added a fence, for example. If you made an addition with a finished room with heating in it, we would assess and place a value on that.”

Buzzard added that the Marshall County Assessor’s Office was “very conservative” and tried to keep their property value assessments on “the lower end of the scale for our taxpayers.”

“I direct our data collectors to be conservative and look out for our taxpayers,” Buzzard said. “We do not want to gouge every penny out of them; we want to care for our people.”

By the end of the year, Buzzard said the field deputies will have visited an estimated 7,200 homes in the county. The office will visit an estimated 1,400 parcels of either commercial or exempt properties. Exempt properties include schools and churches.

Field deputies will also do complete assessments on any new construction in the county. Public utility properties such as American Electric Power properties will also be inspected. Buzzard noted that new construction and public utility properties are inspected throughout the entire county annually.

Buzzard stressed that field deputies will be identifiable by an ID badge with their name and picture visible and will wear assessor shirts and hats. All field deputies will travel in a marked assessor vehicle with a red county plate.

Property owners do not need to be present for the deputies’ inspection. If a resident is not present during the inspection, the field deputy will leave a door hanger with a pamphlet of information about the assessment process, including discount opportunities.

Buzzard encourages residents to stop by his office or call 304-845-1490 with any questions or concerns about the data collection.