Chatham County appoints new tax administrator

Posted Thursday, October 18, 2007

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Pittsboro, NC - On Oct. 15, the Chatham County Board of Commissioners approved the appointment of Tina Stone, an 18-year employee of the county, as the new tax administrator.

Stone first started work in the Tax Office in 1989 as a tax mapping technician, but was promoted to tax assistant in 1992. Since 1999, she has been the business personal property appraiser, a role that ensures that business properties are listed and valued fairly and consistently.

During the past few months with a vacancy in the administrator position, Stone has filled some of the interim duties by supervising the mapping and listing departments, overseeing budget and purchasing, and providing staff support to the Board of Equalization and Review, which hears appeals from taxpayers.

“Tina’s experience with various areas of the Tax Office was one of her major strengths,” said County Manager Charlie Horne. “She also has demonstrated her commitment to professionalism by taking many hours of training over the years. This means that she has earned important certifications at the state and national levels.”

Stone said that she wanted to be the administrator position because “I have been working toward this goal for my entire career with the county. I have made sure that I obtained required certifications and learned as much as I could from my colleagues.”

One of the people that Stone learned a great deal from is her predecessor, Kim Horton, who resigned earlier this year to serve as Alamance County’s tax administrator. “Kim made sure that I had a solid understanding of how the Tax Office works and helped steer me in the right direction when I needed guidance.”

The Chatham County Tax Office already has a well-established track record of good customer service, Stone said. “One of my main goals is to continue this strong focus on maintaining positive relationships with taxpayers. We want them to trust us enough that they will call us when they have a concern or question.”

Stone does not anticipate the need for major changes. “We have qualified people on staff who work hard at keeping the ship on course.”

Stone said that she is “most appreciative of the opportunity and pleased that it was offered to an internal candidate. I recognize that many people have placed a great deal of trust in my abilities, so it is now on my shoulders to demonstrate that this trust was well placed.”

Stone has earned a certification from the International Association of Assessing Officers as a Personal Property Specialist and has earned two certifications from the State Department of Revenue as a Personal Property Appraiser and as a Real Estate Appraiser. She also is certified by the state as a Property Mapper.

Outside the Tax Office, Stone works part-time on evenings and weekends as a 911 emergency dispatcher for the county’s Emergency Operations Department.

A graduate of Jordan Matthews High School, Stone is a native of the county and is working toward a Business Administration Associate Degree at Central Carolina Community College.