There is another new face at the Escambia County Courthouse. Thad Moore Jr. took over the office of the tax assessor when Jim Hildreth retired in September.

It is the first time Moore has worked in public service and he took the reins at one of the busiest times of the year.

Beginning in October, county assessor’s offices go into the property tax mode, with tax notices being sent out to property owners.

“It is one of the busiest times of the year,” Moore said. “I worked with Jim Hildreth for several months while he got me up to date on things. That made it a little bit easier to transition into the new job.”

“The staff in the office has been great,” he added. “They have all been so willing to take the time to show me the ropes. I am sure that I will depend on them for a lot of help in the future.”

Moore said that he had not thought about running for the office of tax accessor, but after several calls from Hildreth, he began to think it might be something he would like to do.

“I have been working at property appraisals for about 17 years,” he said. “So this was not something entirely new to me. When Jim decided to retire, he approached me about the possibility of running for the office. The more I thought about it, the more I thought it would be a good move for me. I am excited about the next six years of being here dealing with Escambia County’s taxes.”

Moore was born in Seattle, Wash., while his father, Thad Moore Sr. was in the U.S. Army. After returning from Vietnam the elder Moore was looking for a place to begin his law practice, when he thought about a fellow attorney from his hometown of Greensboro – Lee Otts. That led him to make the trip to Brewton in 1969 when Thad Jr. was about a year old to begin practicing with Otts.

Moore grew up in the city school system and graduated from T.R. Miller in 1984. He attended the University of Alabama and the University of Montevallo, then lived and worked in Birmingham for a few years.

“I came back to Brewton in 1998 and began working as a real estate appraiser, first as an apprentice and later in my own business,” Moore said. “In 2002, I married a local girl, Leigh Lambert.”

The couple has two children, Rebecca Ann and John. Although she is a healthy young lady now, Rebecca Ann had some major health concerns when she was young, and times were not easy for them. But today, Rebecca Ann is able to participate in sports and is an excellent student at Brewton Middle School.

“Although running for office was not something that I had thought a lot about, I am glad that I did,” he added. “I really liked the campaign. I liked meeting people in the county and my opponent actually became a friend.

“I was so happy to have my whole family stand up with me to be sworn in,” he said. “My wife held the Bible that had been a gift from my parents who, in addition to our children, were able to attend. It meant a lot to me.”

Although he knows this is his busiest season, Moore invites those in the county to stop by the office and visit some time.