Haba takes assessor's oath of office Monday

Samantha Haba was sworn in Monday morning as the new Nuckolls County Assessor with her family attending in support. She said that she was excited and honored while taking her oath at 8:30 a.m., on a brisk Monday morning. Samantha started working at the county courthouse in January of 2017. She started as a custodian, when a position opened in the county assessor's office, she gladly switched departments. She has enjoyed her duties in the assessor's office ever since.

A county assessor is primarily responsible for determining the fair market value of all taxable property within their county, ensuring property owners are assessed accurately so the county can calculate and collect property taxes based on those values. The key responsibilities of a county assessor; property evaluation, data collection, assessment roll creation, exemption management, property owner interaction, ensuring compliance with regulations and fair market analysis provided by the state to insure all property evaluated follows the same guidelines.

County assessors do not set tax rates, they determine property values. Tax rates are set by the governing body of the county. Assessors have the legal right to access properties within their jurisdiction and conduct inspections for valuation purposes. Property owners have the legal right to appeal their assessed value through a formal process if they disagree with their assessment.

Samantha is married to Jamie Haba, and they have raised two children. Both have graduated from high school. Their son is currently taking classes at C.C.C. in Hastings, majoring in welding. Samantha's husband still works for himself, in construction and the carpentry business. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and crafting.

Samantha said she likes her job and meeting new people on a daily basis. She is honored to be serving the public in her new capacity as a county assessor.