By Danny Federico Riverbend News
Lamar Jenkins, the Suwannee County Property Appraiser, will be retiring from his position of 48 years, effective Thursday, Dec. 31.
Having been born in February of 1937, Jenkins is a native to the Live Oak area and even graduated from Suwannee High School in 1957. For a few years after graduation, he helped out on the family farm, assisting his father in growing their crops of peanuts and corn. He saw how unfair the taxation on small farms was compared to corporations and it infuriated him. He desperately wanted to change it. Although he did not attend college, Jenkins ran for the position of Suwannee County Property Appraiser and was elected by people of the same mind as him—the working-class and underprivileged people of the county. On Jan. 2, 1973, he was sworn-in.
One of the many challenges he faced after being sworn-in had to do with the raising of the county's property assessments. After his swearing-in, Jenkins went to Tallahassee on Feb. 8, 1973. While there, the State jumped on him to raise the assessment on the land of Suwannee County. "They told me 'We're here to tell you that if you don't go back and raise the assessment, we'll come do it ourselves,'" Jenkins said. "I sat my chair back and I told them, 'you know where the office is, if you want it you come get it' and I got in my car and didn't look back." He says he made some promises that day. "I said 'I will never let an appointed person out of Tallahassee come in here and put an assessment on a piece of land as long as I have authority' and I knew, when I came back, that I was going to leave my politics on one end and I was going to do the job for the people over here."
In order to do that, Jenkins received a soil capability book the University of Florida had put together between the years of 1962 and 1964, listing 13 different soil types the county has. Jenkins then set up a meeting between a few people, some of which were involved with the UF/IFAS experiment station and water management, along with a few of the leading farmers in the county. "I told them what I was up against," Jenkins said. "I said, 'I need help from you gentlemen' and they said 'we'll help you any way we can.'" He then asked them to go through the different soil types listed in the book and help him find a way to combine the 13 types in to three instead. "They did and they compiled those 13 soils down to three."
He then got a map specialist to mark on his maps where each of the three soil types were. The number one type, colored red, represented agricultural land and was scattered all over Suwannee County, while number two, colored green and number three, colored yellow, are more abundant areas throughout the county. The number three soil type, Jenkins explained, is sandy—the perfect soil type for growing wheat.
Jenkins then updated the assessment to $70 for land in yellow areas, $100 for land in green areas and $130 for land in red areas.
"The State and corporations didn't care how those people suffered, I did," he said. "I care about equity."
On Monday, Dec. 21, a retirement party was held for Jenkins at the John H. Hale community center, located at 226 Parshley Street SW in Live Oak. The small event brought friends and family together to honor Jenkins for his 48 years of service to the Suwannee area. Cupcakes, candy and a cake with a John Deere tractor on top were set up on a table for attendees to enjoy while mingling.
"I can't say enough for the people of this county and the ones who've already gone on," Jenkins said. Over his 48 years as the Suwannee County Property Appraiser, Jenkins served 12 four-year terms.