Trammel Suddeth: Watching 40 Years of Growth in Whitfield County

For the past 40 years, Trammell Suddeth has had a front-row seat to the economic progress of Whitfield County.

He’s worked in the tax assessor’s office since 1969, witnessing firsthand the growth of the county’s tax digest from $97.7 million to a whopping $3.6 billion in 2008.

“That’s astronomical growth!” said Suddeth, who has been chief appraiser for the county since 1973 (except for a period from 1977 to 1981 when the chairman of the Board of Tax Assessors was labeled as chief appraiser).

“And that’s a commentary on this community - a very positive commentary on Dalton and Whitfield County, and a positive commentary on the staff of this office.”

Suddeth downplays the public’s interest in himself and the tax assessor’s office, but he admits that the work of his office does play a critical role in the well-being of the county’s residents.

In a  nutshell, he said the tax assessor’s office  determines the value of property such as homes, land, mobile homes, industrial buildings, and more, “in a fair and equitable manner,” in compliance with state laws. All the property values then come together to form the tax digest, which in turn is used by governing authorities and school systems to set the millage rate to raise tax funds to operate the governments and schools.

“One of the beauties locally is that taxpayers can look around their community and actually see what their taxes are providing for them,” Suddeth said. “Things like good roads, security and protection for their families through law enforcement and fire departments, and a court system where fair and equitable justice and due process are provided for citizens.”

After all, Suddeth is quick to point out, “government is here to help the people. Government is all about the people. It’s not about the bureaucracy. Government has only one place to turn to for revenue, and that’s the people.”

Suddeth encourages the public to stay informed about government activities.

“Our door is always open to any citizen who has questions and concerns about their properties,” he said.

If not for a friend’s suggestion, however, who knows what career path Suddeth would have taken. In late 1968, Dixon White told him about an opening in the tax assessor’s office in Whitfield County.

Suddeth was managing a men’s clothing store in Chattanooga, Tenn., at the time but was growing weary of the six-day-a-week challenge and long hours of the retail business.

The original position was already filled at the courthouse before he could inquire about it, but another opening came up in January 1969. An interview with Gene Edwards, chief appraiser at the time, went well,  “and I’ve been here ever since,” Suddeth said with a smile.

A native of Dalton, Suddeth was born at the old Hamilton Memorial Hospital (current location of BB&T Bank) and jokes that he has come full circle since his courthouse office is not far from his birthplace.

He attended Dalton Public Schools but moved briefly to Michigan with his mother and graduated from Flint High School. He felt a need to continue his education at Tennessee Temple in Chattanooga and graduated from there in 1967 with a theology degree.

That degree was fitting since he and some friends in high school had formed a gospel quartet called the Revelation Quartet and later the TempleAires. They won an amateur trophy at the National Quartet Convention in 1961 and were able to expand their ministry into several states.

Suddeth eventually left the group, but his interest in gospel music and its potent message has continued through his work at local churches, including 4½ years as music director at Swamp Creek Baptist Church, 6½ years at Mt. Rachel Baptist, and the last 31½ years at Carolyn Baptist. 

“I find a nest and tend to say,” he said, smiling. “I’ve enjoyed my ministry of music and the impact that the music has on people’s lives, getting out the gospel message.”

His favorite gospel song? “That’s hard to say,” he said. “I like a lot of them, but two of my favorites are ‘Great Is Thy Faithfulness’ and ‘At Calvary.’ I still love Southern gospel music and have a great appreciation for that music and the people who are involved with it.”

Suddeth recalls a time when he and some church friends visited the local Senior Citizens Center. He was quick to praise those elderly people for their contributions to the community.

“Too many times we tend to forget about these people,” he said, “but they are the ones who made our community what it is today. That World War II generation deserves a lot of credit for their contributions, and I want to make sure they know how much I appreciate them.”

Naturally, after 40 years,  Suddeth has seen a lot of changes  in the way the tax assessor’s office operates, not the least of which involve technological advancements.

“Technology is such a huge part of the job now,” he said. “We’re trying to use all the technological means available to help us perform our jobs better.”

For example, all property records are digitized and on the county’s Web site now, for the public to see at their convenience day or night.

“This is excellent for anyone connected with real estate to be able to access this information 24-7,” Suddeth said. “We work very hard with the county’s IT (Information Department) and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) departments to make sure the information on the Internet is as accurate as possible.”

Education has also played a key role in Suddeth’s career.

“Gov.  (Jimmy) Carter instituted a certification program in the ’70s, and that’s been a big help with the competency of the office,” Suddeth said, “and that training has been enhanced by other administrations since then.”

The Georgia Department of Revenue also has been an excellent mentor, Suddeth said, and he also praised the Georgia Association of Assessing Officers and the International Association of Assessing Officers for their educational opportunities.

“We’re always faced with new challenges each year with new laws enacted by the General Assembly,” he said. “We work hard to comply with those changes.”

Forty years ago, a staff of 11 (including two members of the board of tax assessors) ran the office. Today, Suddeth oversees 22 other employees – including Kristi Elrod, recently named deputy chief appraiser, and veterans such as Brenda Gamblin (29 years), Eric Phillips (nearly 21 years), and Jennifer Jones (almost 20 years).

Suddeth also works closely with the five-member Board of Tax Assessors, a group of local residents appointed by the county commission to serve as the administrative panel of the office and given a small stipend for their work. Like the staff members, the board must also undergo certification and training periodically. “We’re gratified that we have such good qualified people willing to serve on this board,” Suddeth said.

Next year will represent a new challenge for his staff as they adjust to the Freeport tax exemption that takes effect in 2010 on qualified inventories, offering a tax break for industries.

“This will require the taxpayer to apply and require us to work harder in our detail work to make sure the exemptions requested are appropriate,” Suddeth said. “We’ll do that. The people have spoken, and Freeport is what they want. Hopefully this will attract new industries and help existing industries and create new jobs.”

At the end of the day, though, Suddeth is quick to separate his personal and professional life. “Yes, I am the chief appraiser, but it’s not totally who I am,” he said. “I try to make a difference for others in all aspects of my life, especially with my work in the ministry.”