By: Lydia Crawley
The Parsons Advocate
After nearly 29 years with Tucker County, J. Chris Michael has announced his retirement. Michael began his career as County Appraiser in 1994 and since then has served as a County Commissioner before becoming County Assessor in 2017.
“I turn 75 in January,” Michael said. “So, it’s time. There are some things I’d like to do, places we’d like to go.”
Michael summed up his career not only with Tucker County, but also the surrounding area. “I was Tucker County Appraiser, then I was Tucker County Commissioner,” Michael said. “Then I went to work for the State as a Senior Appraiser for the State Tax Department. And then I went to work, I took a job at Monongalia County as Assessor and we had to rebuild their offices, basically.”
Michael spoke of his time in Monongalia County. “So, I took a commercial appraiser job for Mon County. I had to do all the Commercial property in Mon County. It took me three years to see it all. As I finished up there, I ran for office back here and got elected as Assessor.”
Michael said he doesn’t have any major plans for retirement. “No big plans, no,” Michael said. “I got some personal issues I got to take care of and need to take care of myself and take care of me, get me back in some sort of shape…and the wife and I, there are a few things we’d like to do and finally might have some time to do it while we can. Ain’t nothing really specific.”
Michael is a native of Tucker County, “Born and raised in Parsons,” Michael said. “Graduated from Parsons High School in 1976 and I graduated from Davis and Elkins College in 1987. Took some time off for work before I went to school. I have a BS Degree in Accounting and Finance.”
Michael said he has kept up to date with professional development opportunities throughout the years. “I have had numerous classes and seminars on a number of things to do with our office, on the county side, the state side. I’ve had IAAO Classes, that the International Assessing Association Officers. I’ve just done this for a long time.”
Michael said the most challenging time of his career were the three years he spent as commercial appraiser in Monongalia County. “Probably the most challenging time was the three years that I was the commercial appraiser for Mon County,” Michael said. “The new assessor inherited a county that needed things straightened out and what-not. I was working on projects up to and over 80 million dollars. So, I was dealing with CPAs, developers, lawyers, just people like that. And that was somewhat stressful. So, when you wind down from that and come back to here, that’s a big change. It was a lot more relaxing than actually the three years I spent in Mon County.”
Michael said he always tried to maintain a good working relationship with the residents of Tucker County. “One thing I always strive for was to be consistent,” Michael said. “Treating like properties in like manners. We know we work for the public and we try to work with the public. We try to keep a good relationship with everybody and we think that’s important. The guys go out into the field every day or every year and we drive every road every year. We go door to door on one third of the county every year.”
Michael said his favorite past time is golfing. “I golf,” Michael said. “I golf a lot. I got some fishing trips planned. I’ll be going over to hunting camp. Doing some of that.” Michael said he enjoys hunting mainly deer, but does hunt squirrel and turkey occasionally as well. “Predominately deer,” Michael said. “But I’ll squirrel hunt a little and look for turkeys, but I’m not too much into the killing so much anymore. But I do like to get one good dear a year or two. That pretty well lasts the wife, Betty, and I.” Michael said he has been married to his wife for 31 years. “31. It will be 31 in August,” Michael said.