Inside the Assessor’s Office: Why Greg Ketcham Is Running for Jefferson County Assessor

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice

For most Jefferson County residents, the assessor’s office only becomes visible when a valuation notice arrives in the mail. For Greg Ketcham, the office has been his professional home for more than eight years — and it’s the reason he decided to run for Jefferson County Assessor.

Ketcham currently works in the county assessor’s office and has experience in both residential and commercial appraisal. He also previously worked at Jefferson County Open Space, helping build park infrastructure throughout the county. He describes his career path not as political, but practical — rooted in county service and hands-on work.

“I really liked it because you get to interact with everybody in our county,” Ketcham said of his time as an appraiser. “You kind of hear their sides and what’s happening with their property — which essentially is their pride and joy or their livelihood.”

A Run That Started Inside the Office

Ketcham said the idea of running didn’t begin as a long-term ambition. It developed gradually after colleagues began asking whether he had considered it.

Over time, he said, concerns about how the office operates began to surface — particularly the way the assessor’s office moves through revaluations and appeals every two years without reassessing whether long-standing systems still make sense.

“There’s a two-year cycle, and because it always works that way, we just keep doing it the same way,” he said. “Even when some of those systems or assumptions aren’t working as well as they could anymore.”

Ketcham argues the office would benefit from leadership with direct appraisal experience — someone who understands not only statutory requirements, but how values are developed, appealed, and explained to taxpayers.

“I’ve always believed that a boss should know how to do the jobs of the people they’re paid to supervise,” he said.

Communication Before the Deadline

A central theme of Ketcham’s campaign is communication, particularly with property owners who often reach out only as appeal deadlines approach.

“It always feels like a day late and a dollar short when people are calling us,” he said. “If we had talked three months earlier, we could have helped them a lot more.”

He said that dynamic is driven by timing and structure rather than resident behavior. Under his leadership, Ketcham said he would push for earlier outreach, clearer explanations of the assessment process, and more consistent engagement with both residential and business property owners.

That includes ideas such as virtual town halls, expanded online tools, and a more visible public-facing role for the assessor’s office — even as tax rates themselves remain outside the assessor’s control.

Investing in Employees

Ketcham also points to staffing and retention challenges within the assessor’s office, particularly when it comes to training and professional development.

“Jefferson County pays on the low side for assessor’s offices in the metro area,” he said. “And we have big hang-ups on educating employees or helping them get to their next appraisal license.”

After obtaining the required ad valorem license, Ketcham said he paid out of pocket to pursue higher appraisal credentials — an experience that shaped his views on leadership priorities.

“Communication and investing in our employees are two of my biggest reasons for running,” he said.

He argues that better-supported appraisers ultimately benefit taxpayers, especially in a county with a wide range of residential, commercial, agricultural, and business personal property.

Running Unaffiliated

Ketcham is running as an unaffiliated candidate, a decision he said reflects both his personal views and the nature of the office he is seeking.

“This isn’t a political job,” he said. “We’re just a bunch of nerds who deal with market value appraisals.”

Ketcham said running without party backing has shaped every part of his campaign. There is no built-in network, no slate of endorsements to lean on. Instead, he said, the work happens face to face — knocking on doors, talking with residents, and answering basic questions about what the assessor’s office does.

Those conversations, he said, often start from scratch. Many voters don’t think about the office at all until a valuation notice arrives.

Ketcham said early outreach to party leaders only confirmed his decision to stay unaffiliated. In those discussions, support appeared to depend less on the duties of the assessor and more on party affiliation.

For Ketcham, independence mirrors the standards that guide appraisal work. He points to objectivity, impartiality, and consistency as core principles of the profession — and says those same principles are why he believes the assessor’s role is better suited to an unaffiliated approach.

How He Defines the Role

While the assessor does not set tax rates or control government spending, Ketcham said the office still plays an important role in public trust — especially for homeowners.

“I think if people can trust the person responsible for their property values,” he said, “even if they don’t like the number, that matters.”

If elected, Ketcham said success would mean a more transparent office, better-supported staff, and taxpayers who understand the process before deadlines arrive.

“I want people to know that I want to change things for the better,” he said. “Include them in the discussion, and work for every person who lives in our county.”

Additional information about Ketchum’s campaign is available at gregforjeffco.com.