BURLINGTON, ON, CANADA – (August 6, 2022) – Rutherford County Mayor Bill Ketron and Property Assessor Rob Mitchell announce Phase Two of “Smart Rutherford”.
Phase One of “Smart Rutherford” is now complete!
“Smart Rutherford” is the program implemented by the Rutherford County Property Assessor’s Office which permits citizens to ask Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant what the value of their property is for property tax purposes. It is the first use of this technology in the nation for communicating assessment information with the public. It received much attention and accolades at a government symposium recently in San Diego, California where it was showcased.
“We are very excited the Phase One of “Smart Rutherford” was so well received “, said Mitchell. “For the first time ever a citizen can use a smart device, like a cell phone or smart speaker, to ask for the vital information they need to know about their property. Citizen engagement and transparency hold government accountable and makes for a stronger community”.
Phase Two is more ambitious.
Citizens will be able to identify their county commission district and their commissioners; find out where they may vote; what school their children are zoned to attend and a host of other vital information. Phase Two will also contain an email notification process for delivery of a taxpayers property value changes by email. This innovation alone will save taxpayers thousands of dollars a year in postage and printing costs.
Rutherford County is a vibrant and rapidly growing community. This rapid growth requires innovative thinking. By partnering with Qwhery to develop these systems, Rutherford County has proven that a “best practice” innovation like “Smart Rutherford” can be provided easily. ” Smart Rutherford” is the Gold Standard of citizen engagement. “Our goal is to make our citizens lives better and give them the information they need and deserve when they want it”, said Mitchell.
“I have enjoyed working with Assessor Mitchell on this project. It is rare to find a public servant so committed to finding innovative and cost effective ways to bring citizen engagement and process improvement to government. Mitchell consistently finds ways to change processes for the better while saving taxpayer dollars. Rutherford County is lucky to have such a committed servant leader”, said Mayor Bill Ketron.
Please send us suggestions for improvements to: assessor@rutherfordcountytn.gov
Click to view Demonstration Video of Smart Rutherford:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAFYuQzOFSY
Smart Rutherford uses a combination of technology platforms built by Qwhery Inc & Esri Inc.
