Jackson County's acting assessment director has resigned, just weeks before thousands of tax bills are scheduled to be sent to county residents.

Ed Severeid's resignation comes as the department is trying to avoid the kinds of mistakes made a year ago, when thousands of county residents received erroneous tax bills on their vehicles.

The mix-up prompted County Executive Katheryn Shields to fire Bob Boley, whom she replaced with Severeid. But Severeid wants to return to real estate appraising in Johnson County, Shields said Friday.

"Ed approached me saying he wanted to focus on his own business again," Shields said in a prepared statement. "Since he indicated all the required assessment tasks for billing were complete, I accepted his resignation."

Severeid could not be reached for comment.

Shields offered her assurances that tax bills scheduled to be issued to county residents around Thanksgiving would be correct and sent out on time.

Severeid, who earned $8,333 a month under a professional services contract, served as the county assessor for several years during the mid-1980s. He was credited with making improvements in the county's assessment program.

During his recent 11-month tenure with the county, Severeid cleared dead accounts from the personal property tax rolls. Most of the properties removed were vehicles owned by people who had moved.

That action lowered personal property tax assessments countywide and raised concern among some school officials in growing suburban districts.

School finance officers have not been satisfied with explanations that purging the tax rolls of dead accounts had caused a dramatic drop in personal property tax assessments and cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenues.

Some suspected that an error might have been made in the reassessments, and they wanted to discuss the matter with Severeid at a meeting Nov. 1. But two days before the meeting Severeid announced he could not attend.

Superintendents from at least six districts are scheduled to meet with Shields on Nov. 15 in Lee's Summit.

Victor Callahan, chairman of the Legislature, said he is concerned about Severeid's abrupt departure at "a very critical time for taxpayers."

"The Legislature and thousands of taxpayers have been given assurances (that everything is correct) in the past that haven't come true," he said.

Kansas City Star

-- Anonymous, November 10, 2001