Good Riddance Rodney Pyles

Mon County Assessor Rodney Pyles selected a third party (Tyler Technologies) to perform the nuts-and-bolts tasks associated with new valuations of property in the county. Since the title of his office is a very large hint, you might ask what else he had to do with his time. And you would be right. But not in county government, apparently.

He went for the Cowardly Politician's Daily Double when he disavowed any knowledge of Tyler's methods or data and then refused to face the music when it became clear that Tyler had made a complete hash of things, including 8100% increases for small parcels of land. In many cases Tyler claimed to have visited properties and/or taken photographs but when challenged (by those lucky enough to obtain a Constitutionally-protected redress of their grievances) admitted that they had no such evidence.

An individual submitting an insurance claim for a nonexistent loss would be prosecuted for fraud and rightly so. But government (including contractors) feel justified in inventing property value numbers that have a immediate and permanent financial impact on the taxpayers.

Incredibly, some defended Pyles' actions and offered up the non-defense that he hadn't broken any laws. Perhaps, but he displayed an unconscionable level of sloth, arrogance and stubbornness when the full scale of the debacle was exposed.

Pyles says he will step down after this term due to 'pressure and stress,' mostly of his own making. Good riddance to another hypocritical public official too cowardly to clean up his mess.