When John Scott accepted the position as Chief Appraiser in Bulloch County on August 17, 1992, he knew the job would challenges him, but he didn't quite comprehend at the time how great and rewarding that challenge would become.
John came to Bulloch after service five years in Long County and then four years in Stephens County in North Georgia. He had just successfully completed a county wide reappraisal of Stephens County, which is what made him an attractive hire by county leaders.
"Two days after I started work, Raybon Anderson was elected Chairman of the Bulloch County Commission, and shortly after, Scott Wood was hired as the first County Manager," said John Scott. "Jimmy Franklin, who was the county attorney at the time, had to help me get a consent order to collect taxes that year."
Bulloch County had 14,000 parcels and a tax digest of $400 million when he arrived. He was the fourth person on the staff in the appraiser's office. Thirty years later, there are over 33,000 parcels and a tax digest cresting $3 billon. The staff has grown to 13. During his tenure, he has appraised over $113 billion in market value of real estate.
"The first few years were rough. There was a lot of deferred work to be done. It took many long days and nights to make it happen," said John Scott. "We got through it, and things settled in and we were able to make a lot of good things happen for Bulloch County. I offer my sincere appreciation to the good people of Bulloch County for allowing me to work for them all of these years. It certainly has been my good fortune to work here and with the team in the assessor's office."
In addition to his full time job, he has served for over 26 years bi-vocationally as the pastor of Bethlehem Primitive Baptist on Westside Road, a role he will continue in retirement.
Scott also served for 13 years as the Executive Director of the Georgia Association of Assessing Officials, a 1,600 member organization.
Retirement reception
Bulloch County recently hosted a retirement reception for Scott. He was touched by the number of friends and family members who attended the reception.
Of note, several friends traveled in to the reception including:
- Don Sheppard, who lives in Sylvania and retired from the Department of Revenue as a Sr. Instructor, was a great mentor and good friend.
- Mary and Doug Kirkpatrick. Mary is the Chief Appraiser in Forsyth, and Doug is the Chief Appraiser in Elbert County.
- Andrea and Howell Crutchfield, Chief Appraiser in Macon-Bibb County.
Scott shared his thanks to his wife Wanda for her support through all these years. Wanda retired from Ogeechee Area Hospice but still volunteers there. They have two daughters and seven grandchildren.
Beth James and her husband Jay have four children and live in Fitzgerald.
Rachel Elrod and her husband Chris have three children and live in Auburn, AL.
Appraisers office in good hands
Scott said he was fortunate to surround himself with an incredible team, and many of them have served decades. No doubt he is leaving the office in wonderful hands.
Ronny Newton is following Scott as the Chief Appraiser. He served as the Deputy Chief Appraiser with Scott for over 30 years.
Kathy Newton (no relation to Ronny) and Bobby Fisher have been promoted to Deputy Chief Appraisers
Laura Johnson continues to serve in the office. She was on staff before Scott and has served over 30 years.
John served our community with honesty and integrity. He had a gentle way of dealing with even the most difficult situations. The citizens of Bulloch have definitely benefited from his decades of service. We wish him well in retirement.
