McIntosh County Treasurer Betty Whisenhunt has begun the final month of her 11 years in office.
She was sworn in on July 1, 2014, and her last day will be June 30.
Whisenhunt replaced long-time Treasurer Carol Lindley, who retired after 22 years in office.
When Whisenhunt was sworn in she said, “I am excited to serve the citizens of McIntosh County.”
After announcing her retirement last month, she said, “I’m excited about retirement.”
But she will miss her job. “I’ve gotten to know so many diverse people. And to help people understand their property,” she said. “Working with people has been great.”
Even the angry ones. “We do get a few angry people, and we try hard not let that make us angry people. But if you let us explain, we can come to a solution and find a way to make it work out.”
She approaches life with enthusiasm.
A major part of that future life will be spending time with her 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild on the family farm near Texanna, without having to fit the children into her work schedule.
Whisenhunt grew up in the community of Victor, northwest of Checotah. She graduated from Checotah High School in 1980.
She and her husband Don have been married more than 45 years. They have four children, two daughters and a son, who live in this general area.
Not having to go to work will be a new experience.
“In 1978 I started paying into Social Security,” She said.
Before going to work for the Treasurer’s Office in 2008, she worked as a dental assistant for Checotah dentist Joseph Meador, then as a secretary with the Checotah School District and as an assistant at the Voss Veterinary Clinic.
When a position opened at the Treasurer’s office in 2008, she applied and has been with the office ever since.
“I have always liked bookkeeping,” she said.
She eventually became First Deputy and then was elected Treasurer when Lindley retired.
At the time of her election she was serving on the Checotah School Board, but had to resign. State law forbids a person from holding two elected positions.
Whisenhunt has seen a lot of changes in the Treasurer’s office.
“For one thing, when I first started the office only had one computer with access to the internet. Once a day we would go online to check e-mails,” she said.
Now, it would be difficult to do without computers, especially during tax season, November – January, when property taxes are being collected.
The deputies identify real estate property that may be sold for taxes, and attempt to locate owners or heirs.
Computers have greatly simplified the search process, which sometimes is still difficult.
“People pass away and don’t change the title to the land; each generation forgets to tell the next that this is grandma’s land; people move away,” she said.
But, the workers are diligent in connecting property with the right people.
Over 300 pieces of property were up to be sold for taxes this past season, but the Treasurer’s office got it down to 60.
“A lot of them are vacant, but many have structures on them,” she said. “Some are worth 100s of thousands of dollars, some one dollar.”
Kim Smelser will replace Whisenhunt.
