New county appraiser is here to serve the public
Staff reporter
Treating taxpayers the way she wants to be treated is the philosophy of new Marion County Appraiser, Cindy Magill.
Magill comes to Marion County with six years experience at the Butler County Appraiser's office where she served as the supervisor of real estate. She understands the importance of communication.
"I have an open door policy. Any property owner is welcome to come talk to me," Magill said. She added that it may not change the end result because regardless of the situation, she still has to follow the law.
As a registered mass appraiser, Magill is eligible to be a county appraiser in any Kansas county.
During these first few days on the job, Magill is spending her time familiarizing herself with the office and staff.
"It's too early to make any changes," said Magill. "If I do make changes, it will be down the road."
The obvious difference of coming to a smaller county is the level of activity.
"Butler County has recently experienced a lot of growth," Magill said.
Butler County has 30,000 parcels and Marion County has 11,000.
But regardless of the size of the county and the number of parcels, the appraiser's office has to maintain and follow the same procedures per state statutes.
"The technical work is the same but on a smaller scale — but I like it," Magill said with a smile.
She's looking forward to managing a smaller department and working with taxpayers.
Keeping property owners informed also is important.
"Communication and information are the most important aspects of my office," she said.
If the owners can understand the process and reasoning, then they can appreciate the results.
The Wichita native resides in Hillsboro with fiancé Dennis Wedel.
She has a 25-year-old son, Derek, who recently graduated from Texas A&M University with a graduate degree in science, and a major in mathematics and a minor in computer.
Magill is eager to get to know the residents of Marion County.
"I'm a public servant and am here to serve property owners," she said.
