In a June 14 resignation letter to county commissioners, Davis stated that he was unable to serve because of health reasons and a mistake that he made regarding the Kinder Morgan company.<\/p>\n
Davis was elected in 2014 for a four-year term.<\/p>\n
In the letter, Davis stated that he had recently \u201creceived notice that I had failed to properly notify or respond timely to the Kinder Morgan Petition to the State Board of Assessment Appeals.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis will result in decreased revenues for Montezuma County,\u201d Davis wrote. \u201cI feel that this has harmed all the citizens of Montezuma County who have put their trust in me, therefore I cannot in good conscience continue to act as assessor.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a phone interview on Tuesday, Davis said his paperwork mistake \u201cwas unfortunate,\u201d and he didn\u2019t know how much revenue the mistake might cost the county. Davis said, however, that the mistake was not related to the Supreme Court case with Kinder Morgan and would not impact the court ruling allowing retroactive tax collection from the company.<\/p>\n
County commissioner Keenan Ertel and county attorney John Baxter also said they did not know the amount. Baxter said he could not comment further because it was an ongoing legal issue.<\/p>\n
Davis added in his letter that \u201cdue to some health issues, I do not feel that I am unable (sic) to perform the duties of this position.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Monday, deputy assessor Leslie Bugg was appointed by the county commissioners to serve as interim assessor until the 2018 general election. She will take the oath of office next week.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that you will do a very good job,\u201d said commissioner Larry Don Suckla.<\/p>\n
Bugg has worked in the assessor\u2019s office for the past 10 years. She has been deputy assessor for the past four years. Before that, Bugg was the office manager for six years.<\/p>\n
Davis recommended Bugg for the interim assessor appointment.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was total a surprise, and I am ready for the challenge,\u201d she said Monday after accepting the position.<\/p>\n
Bugg said that she intends to seek election to the office in the 2018 election.<\/p>\n
In his resignation letter, Davis stated that Bugg has the \u201cskills and knowledge necessary to carry the office forward and will do a remarkable job.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to personally thank all of my staff,\u201d Davis wrote. \u201cThey have been wonderful and have tried to help me get through these past months. They are to be commended.\u201d<\/p>\n
Days after Davis, resignation, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled in favor of Montezuma County on a nine-year tax case with Kinder Morgan involving disputed tariff deductions and retroactive tax assessments due to underreporting. Davis said he was glad to learn about the ruling.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very happy for the county, and wish I could have been there to spread the good news. It was a lot of work and expense, but now it will pay off,\u201d he said in a phone interview.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Sara Hughes, a spokeswoman for Kinder Morgan, said the company had no comment regarding the Supreme Court decision.<\/p>\n
Davis predicts the decision will have a ripple effect for the Colorado oil and gas industry and county assessor offices that collect tax revenues.<\/p>\n
\u201cBelieve me, the industry is paying attention to this,\u201d Davis said. \u201cThe lesson for counties is to conduct regular audits of the industry to make sure they are correctly reporting property valuations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Because of the complexity of oil and gas tax filings, he advised counties hire a contractor with energy-company audit expertise.<\/p>\n
Davis, 68, said retirement has been on his mind, and that health problems made the decision practical.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll really miss the people,\u201d he said. \u201cBut it\u2019s the right time. I\u2019ve been working my whole life, including 23 years with the county assessors office.\u201d<\/p>\n