Former Taney County deputy assessor accuses Assessor Susan Chapman of unethical actions

FORSYTH, Mo. (KY3) - A former Taney County deputy assessor turned whistle-blower is accusing Assessor Susan Chapman of multiple cases of unethical actions.

Andy Adams says Chapman asked employees to change assessment of properties beyond normal procedures. This allowed 2021 tax bills to be processed, despite knowing the calculations were too high.

”If you have a nightly rental in Taney County, you could very well be affected,” Andy Adams said.

In Taney County, commercial properties have a 2.35 rate applied to them and 2.58 for residential properties.

”There are several nightly rentals in this county over 1,600 that have had the 2.58 residential rate applied to them instead of the 2.38,” Adams said.

This means tax payers will be spending around $300 more on a $100,000 condo. Adams and another adjuster told Chapman about the inconsistent rates.

This is what he says Champman told them.

”It might be better if we just be quiet about it, and then if we get caught, we’ll just say we didn’t realize they were on there,” Adams said.

Adams also told Chapman he would not do that and called the software engineer to see if changes could be made.

”This problem will end next year because we’ve gotten it fixed,” Adams said.

Josh Smith lives in Taney County, and he is shocked by the accusations.

”We’ve got basically a runaway elected official who doesn’t believe she has to answer to the taxpayers and she doesn’t have to answer to the board of equalization,” Josh Smith said.

Smith says it feels like every week there is something new that she has done.

”At this point, unless the courts take action, there is no accountability,” Smith said.

Adams says the Board of Equalization rolled back over $80 million of valuation that Chapman had tacked onto properties.

“If they hadn’t, your bill would really be astronomical,” Adams said.

Adams says that Chapman even admitted to the board of equalization to using her personal property listings on a county computer to run her business of a realtor. Two appraisers verified they were handed MLS sheet.

”They were told try to get the assessment up to the sales price of these MLS letters,” said Adams.

Adams says he thinks a special prosecutor and the attorney general should be appointed to investigate this. He encourages people living in the county to keep speaking up about these actions.

We asked Chapman to respond to the claims, but she did not respond.

A commissioner says they have no control over the actions of another elected official.

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