WARSAW — Alyssa Schmucker was chosen by Kosciusko County Republican precinct committee members as the next County Auditor in a caucus held Thursday night in Warsaw.

Schmucker, a chief deputy in the auditor’s office for eight years, replaces Rhonda Helser who resigned recently intending to retire.

[caption id="attachment_97162" align="alignright" width="220"] Alyssa Schmucker[/caption]

Schmucker was chosen over Patti Cook, the Etna Green Clerk-Treasurer who filed for the position shortly before the Monday deadline.

On top of her experience in the auditor's office, Schmucker worked for many years with the Tippecanoe Township office and is a longtime EMT with the township.

In her short speech, she focused on her experience.

Cook said she's done well as clerk-treasurer, said she wanted a new challenge and expressed a willingness to continue learning.

Schmucker’s career has also closely parallelled her mother, Sue Ann Mitchell who previously also served as county auditor and treasurer and now serves as a member of county council member and is poised to become a county commissioner after the Nov. 5 election.

Afterward, she acknowledged the connection and said she had learned a few things about county government from her mother over the years.

During and after her selection, Schmucker thanked numerous people including Helser and former county auditor Michelle Puckett.

“I am a true public servant and I am eager to serve the public and Kosciusko County as the next auditor. I will do my best to continue to develop good working relationships with the other elected officials and department heads of Kosciusko County while performing the duties of the auditor. Thank you very much,” she said.

She said she looks forward to what she anticipates will be a smooth transition as Helser steps aside on Aug. 31.

Helser is a former county treasurer and was elected as auditor in 2022 and took office in January of 2023.

The next term for auditor would begin in 2027.

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WARSAW — First-term Kosciusko County Auditor Rhonda Helser's resignation was announced on Monday, citing “personal reasons” in an interview with the Times-Union.

“It’s nothing major. I just decided it’s my time,” she told the Times-Union.

A Republican caucus has been scheduled for 6 p.m. Aug. 15 in the old courtroom of the Kosciusko County Courthouse.

The position is open to anyone residing in Kosciusko County who is a Republican in good standing.

Declarations of candidacy are available at the office of Kosciusko County Clerk of the Circuit Court and should be filed with Kosciusko County Republican Chair Mike Ragan. The deadline to file is Aug. 12.

Helser’s career with the county has spanned 20 years, with much of that in the treasurer’s office.

She was elected county auditor in 2022 and assumed the office in January 2023. 

Helser's resignation is effective Aug. 31.

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WARSAW -- Tax experts are warning that residential property owners in Kosciusko County and across the state will likely face some sticker shock in the next few weeks when they receive property tax bills.

The housing market boom two years ago sent home prices soaring with the average home value rising nearly 16 percent, according to data being distributed by the Indiana Association of Counties.

County Auditor Rhonda Helser and County Assessor Gail Chapman met with News Now Warsaw Thursday and warned that residential markets outpaced commercial and farm properties, which means homeowners will pay a bigger share of the bill.

The COVID pandemic, the recession and the recovery in 2020 and 2021 created conditions for "extraordinary changes" in assessments and tax bills in "pay-2023," according to a statewide report provided by Helser

Helser said she wanted to get the word out before tax bills start arriving.

Chapman said she's looking at a 16 percent hike on her own home.

It’s too late to appeal this year’s tax bill, but property owners can prepare to appeal the upcoming assessment, which will be issued in the coming weeks.

On the other hand, homeowners have also seen the values of their homes rise dramatically, Chapman said.

"I think people who have lived in their homes for 20-30 years ... would probably be shocked to know what they could actually list it for and sell it for," Chapman said.

"I know they're not going to be happy about the tax amount. I'm not either. Mine went up 16 percent. But I can look at my assessed value and know for sure that I could sell it for that amount or a little bit more," she said.

On a related note, Chapman and Helser both urged homeowners to update the county when they make significant changes to their property. In many cases, they said, people will tear down a garage or even a house and don't report it and then still end up receiving tax bills that don't reflect their existing situation.

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