POLITICS: CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY ASSESSOR PLANS FOR FUTURE

Cape Girardeau County Assessor Jerry Reynolds has watched for more than 20 years as technology becomes more and more valuable in the operation of county government.

Now, Reynolds, 62, is running unopposed for a sixth term as county assessor and would like to see the county take its technology a step further.

"I'd like to see the county get a GIS system," Reynolds said. "We have layers of information. It's a matter of getting everything, all of our maps, all of our information, into the computers for everyone to access."

Geographic information systems (GIS) technology is used for scientific investigations, resource management and development planning.

For example, a GIS could allow emergency planners to calculate emergency response times in the event of a natural disaster. It also could be used to find wetlands that need protection from pollution.

Such a system, which is based on geographical data, would mesh nicely with the county's system of using aerial photography to inventory property, Reynolds said.

"In the early '80s, we did a complete re-assessment of the county to give us a lot better method of inventorying property," he said.

"That's probably been our biggest change. It's all computerized. It's a totally different office than it was back then."

Reynolds, who runs a 13-person office, said he welcomes residents who have concerns about their property assessments to come to his office and review the county's records.

He said he believes industrial development in the county will bring about many assessment changes in the coming years.

"We're seeing a tremendous amount of change in the county with industrial things that will affect personal property," he said.

"I think we're going to see it will be a large part of our evaluation with the addition of commercial plants and industrial areas."

Jerry L. Reynolds

Age: 62

Hometown: Cape Girardeau

Political affiliation: Democrat

Family: Wife Lil, children Scott, Mike and Mark

Profession: Cape Girardeau County assessor, real estate broker and construction

Affiliations: Member of Red Star Baptist Church, Southeast Lumbermen's Association, Cape County Red Cross Board, Historical Association of Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau Jaycees and the Cape Girardeau Rotary Club, Missouri Assessors Association.

Political history: Cape Girardeau County assessor since 1976. Former Cape Girardeau City Council member, serving two terms from 1972 until 1976.