Bobby Upchurch - Handling Upset Taxpayers

Bobby Upchurch has assessed property in Wayne County, Kentucky for 22 years. Last year, he says, was the hardest of them all.

Not because of technology changes. Not because of staffing shortages. But because, as he puts it, "the real estate values, they don't, there's no quit in them."

It's a sentiment echoing through assessment offices nationwide. After decades of relatively predictable cycles, we're in uncharted territory. And while the challenges are real, so are the lessons we're learning about resilience, adaptation, and the evolving nature of public service.

The Numbers Tell Only Part of the Story

In Wayne County, median sale prices have roughly doubled, from $60,000-70,000 to $130,000-140,000. But raw appreciation doesn't capture the full picture. This rural county of 20,000, anchored by Lake Cumberland, has become a destination for everyone from California transplants seeking acreage to Midwestern retirees parking converted storage sheds on lakefront lots.

"We've got it all," Upchurch notes. "We go from homesteaders to nice houses."

This diversity of property types and buyer motivations creates complexity that simple market statistics can't convey. When your jurisdiction includes both $500,000 lake homes and $10,000 structures with improvised kitchens, maintaining uniformity becomes an art form.

The Human Cost of Market Volatility

Perhaps more striking than the market dynamics is what Upchurch identifies as the profession's growing challenge: public interaction has fundamentally changed.

"People, for lack of a better term, are just meaner and ruder," he observes. Weekly confrontations have replaced the respectful disagreements of years past. He attributes much of this to social media culture, people have become "keyboard warriors" who struggle to modulate their behavior in face-to-face interactions.

This isn't just an inconvenience; it's reshaping how assessment offices operate. Upchurch positions himself on the front lines to shield his staff, telling upset property owners, "If you're going to be mean, be mean to me."

It's a management philosophy born of necessity in an era where property tax has become a lightning rod for broader frustrations about affordability and economic change.

Finding Balance in the Storm

Despite the challenges, Wayne County's assessment operation demonstrates how fundamentals still matter. With just five staff members, they maintain a disciplined four-year review cycle, leverage aerial imagery every two to three years, and keep appeal numbers remarkably low, just seven or eight this year.

The key? Clear processes and realistic expectations. When Kentucky law requires properties to be assessed at sale price (barring family transfers or unusual circumstances), there's less room for dispute. When 90-95% of property owners leave understanding the rationale behind their assessment after a conversation, you know the system is fundamentally sound.

The Affordability Crisis Hits Home

One detail from Upchurch's account stands out starkly: a staff member's daughter with a one-year-old child, where both parents have good jobs, yet cannot find affordable housing in Wayne County.

When working families can't afford homes in rural Kentucky, when houses are "snatched up" before buyers can even view them, we're witnessing something beyond normal market cycles. As one legislator noted at the conference, Kentucky faces a 200,000-home deficit.

For assessors, this creates a unique tension. We're tasked with capturing market value while knowing those values are pushing homeownership beyond reach for many residents. It's not our role to solve the housing crisis, but we can't ignore its impact on our communities and our work.

Technology as Tool, Not Solution

Interestingly, Upchurch's account suggests technology serves best as a force multiplier for traditional assessment practices. Regular aerial flights help identify improvements. Online pre-inspections save field time. But the core work, understanding properties, explaining valuations, managing appeals, remains fundamentally human.

His approach to reviewing aerial imagery exemplifies this balance: all five staff members divide the county and flag changes. It's collaborative, thorough, and leverages technology without becoming dependent on it.

Key Takeaways

For New Assessors: "Don't let it get you down," Upchurch advises. Markets that seem impossibly hot will eventually moderate. The fundamentals of fair assessment endure beyond any cycle.

For Offices Struggling with Public Relations: Consider Upchurch's approach, position leadership as a buffer, maintain calm professionalism, and remember that most people will respond to patient explanation.

For the Profession: We're not just tracking values; we're documenting a societal shift. Rural America is transforming, public discourse is coarsening, and housing affordability has become a crisis. Our data and perspective matter more than ever.

After 22 years, Upchurch still loves the job, 90% of the time, he says. In an era when many public servants are burning out, that's not just personal resilience. It's a reminder that good assessment work, done with integrity and humanity, still matters.

Even when the market won't quit.