Bob Willingham, Albemarle County

Bob Willingham, Assessor, Albemarle County

Where were you born (and raised, if different)? 
I was born in Leesburg, Virginia and raised in western Loudoun County.

When and why did you move to the Charlottesville/Albemarle area? 
I moved because of a great job opportunity and to live in the Albemarle area.

What neighborhood do you live in now? 
I live in Greene County.

Family (spouse, kids, etc.)? 
I have a wife, Connie, and three grown children, Andrew, Erin and Liz.

What is your alma mater? 
My alma mater is Northern Virginia Community College.

What were you doing before you came to work for the county? 
I was the Deputy Assessor for Loudoun County.

Your job title is County Assessor – what, in your own words, would you say you do? 
The Assessor is responsible for the annual assessment of all real estate, the assessment of all new lots and buildings, and administering the land use assessment program and the veterans exemption program.  I also manage all property transfer and related work to prepare the County Land Book.

What is the best part of your job? The most difficult part? 
The best part is working with the property owners to explain the real estate assessment process. The most difficult was implementation of the Revalidation Process for Land Use Assessments.

How does your job most directly impact the average person? 
The job is one of the factors used in creating real estate tax bills. The tax rate set by the Board of Supervisors is applied to the assessment for real estate taxes.

What is the most interesting project or work experience that you’ve had while with the county? 
The most interesting project was implementing a new computer assessment system that will increase workflow and accuracy in property assessment.

What is a little-known fact about you? 
I’m a fan of small dogs. We have a long hair Chihuahua that’s part of the family.

What do you do outside of work hours – hobbies, etc.? 
Travel.  I just vacationed in Mexico and plan to go to England to see the ancestral home. I am beginning to start playing golf again.