New interim county assessor sworn into office
Jan. 8—Cathy Ridenour turned on the lights in her new office for the first time Monday morning, following her swearing-in as the new interim Pittsburg County assessor.
District 18 District Judge Mike Hogan administered the oath of office during a brief ceremony in his courtroom at the Pittsburg County Courthouse.
Pittsburg County commissioners appointed Ridenour in December to serve as interim director following the resignation, effective Monday, Jan. 8, of then-County Assessor Michelle Fields.
Fields said she resigned the post to take a position with the Oklahoma Tax Commission.
While commissioners appointed Ridenour to the post in December, she didn't officially become the interim Pittsburg County assessor until Hogan swore her into office Monday.
"I just hope to do as well as Michelle, did," Ridenour said. "I hope I can live up to her work."
Ridenour said she's planning no major changes in the assessor's office, where she will oversee 14 county employees.
"I like the job and I like the people in the office," she said. "We're like a family.
"I've got a good group of people," she said.
Duties of county assessors include sending employees into the field to assess property for ad valorem property tax purposes, while staying in compliance with Oklahoma Tax Commission guidelines.
"I want to treat people fairly and do the best I can at this job," said Ridenour.
Money collected from ad valorem property taxes go to things such as public schools in the county and the Kiamichi Technology Center. Other recipients of ad valorem taxes include the Pittsburg County Health Department, public libraries and county government.
Ridenour has worked for Pittsburg County starting in 1999, beginning in the court clerk's office. She's worked in the Pittsburg County Assessor's Office since 2005, where she was headed into her third year as first deputy.
She said she plans to file as a candidate for the county assessor's office once the candidate filing period opens.
After county commissioners voted in December to accept Fields' resignation, they voted to call a special election to fill the office for the remainder of Fields' unexpired term.
A three-day filing period for the Pittsburg County assessor's office is set for April 3-5, 2024.
It's to be followed by a Special Primary Election for the Pittsburg County assessor's office, set for June 18 if needed. A Special Runoff Election is set for Aug. 27, with a General Election set for Nov. 5, also if it is needed.
How many elections will be required to elect a new county assessor depends on how many candidates file for the assessor's office and which political parties candidates represent.
Should only one candidate file for the assessor office in April, then that candidate could be declared the winner following certification of the filings. If multiple candidates file from the same political parties, the vote could go to the Aug. 27 Runoff Election.
If candidates from different political parties file for the office, the winner would be decided during the Nov. 5 General Election, when candidates from the different political parties would represent their respective parties on the ballot.
Ridenour's appointment as interim assessor is to remain in effect until the Special Election results are certified by election officials.
She and her husband, Kenny Ridenour, are the parents of two adult children, Nathan Ridenour and Jordan Ridenour.
