WOOSTER − Wayne County Auditor Jarra Underwood choked back tears as she took her seventh oath of office in early March.

Until this point, Underwood said her parents always attended her swearing-in ceremonies.

“They are no longer here,” she said. “But I have my mother’s necklace, my father’s wedding band and my grandfather’s 100-year-old Bible with me. So I feel like they are watching. The support of my family has been a huge part of this career for me. They have been there for every step.”

Underwood has worked in various capacities at the office since 1979. In 1998, she entered the political arena and ran for Wayne County auditor, taking office in 1999.

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“This building, this office, has been my home away from home for almost 44 years,” Underwood said. “Some days, I spend more time with my office family than my own family.”

While the position is often challenging, Underwood said she has enjoyed every minute of her ever-changing role.

“Automation has been the biggest change,” she said. “We had a big mainframe computer and a few terminals when I started. We did not have personal computers; everything was done with calculators, handwritten spreadsheets and typewriters.”

With the internet came change embraced by the office

When the internet became popular, she quickly adapted her office to the needs of the public by embracing its capabilities. The result reduced payroll by creating efficiencies and saving taxpayer dollars. More importantly, according to Underwood, the public was better served through technology and innovation.

“Before having a website, our counter was lined with attorneys, title examiners and insurance people that came in to get property records cards or copies of real estate sales,” she explained. “It took extra employees to handle the counter and process those requests.”

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Underwood gives most of the credit to her staff.

“Our responsibilities change weekly, and I have been blessed with wonderful employees that help carry out the duties of this office amid the county’s growth,” she said. “When I started, Wayne County had about 39,000 parcels of land; now we have about 59,000.”

Ever-expanding commercial side; introduction of tax abatements

While the residential side of the office continues to grow, there is an ever-expanding commercial side of the operation as well.

“Appraisal of commercial property has become more specific with the use of modern methods to review income, revenue, and expenses; the growth of the north end has been tremendous,” she said. “There weren’t many tax abatements when I came into office, and now there are many different types of projects through which tax abatements are administered.”

Each department in the office has a counterpart at the state level that must approve processes the office carries out, and there are a lot. According to Underwood, Ohio Revised Code (ORC) outlines more than 260 responsibilities given to the auditor.

One of the duties imposed by the ORC is real estate appraisal.

“We take this seriously because we deal with property owners’ homes and businesses. Every sale that goes through our office that transfers for money gets reported to the Department of Taxation,” Underwood said. “They track those sales, producing sales ratio reports that are part of the appraisal process to determine changes to property values based on the property type. The tax commissioner of Ohio and individual county auditors must agree on aggregate values within each county.”

A leader in developing Geographic Information System

Underwood’s office has also been a leader in developing a robust Geographic Information System. This system, coupled with regular aerial photography flights, provides unlimited analytical data for agencies across Wayne County.

While she looks forward to her next term, Underwood takes pride in knowing each day her office makes a difference in the lives of the people they serve.

“Whether it is helping someone who might be applying for a property tax reduction, a veteran needing assistance, an attorney transferring a deed or a pet owner buying a dog license, we ensure our office responds quickly and professionally,” she said.

Underwood received accolades from the State of Ohio.

In 2013, she was nominated by her peers to receive the County Auditor Award of Distinction. She also was elected Ppresident of the Ohio County Auditors Association in 2007.

“While I was honored and humbled by these distinctions, my greatest honor has been the continued public support during my career,” said Underwood. “I am the third generation to hold a public office in Wayne County in my family. My great-uncle, Leroy Leedy, served as the clerk of courts, and his son, James K. Leedy, was the prosecuting attorney and state senator. I am very fortunate to continue this family tradition.”

Dan Starcher is the public communications coordinator for the Wayne County government out of the Wayne County Commissioners Office.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Family mementoes in hand, Underwood takes seventh oath as auditor