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I think taxpayers might be surprised of how little work the County Assessor will actually be doing or has done in the past during the reassessment process. According to the contract signed in March most of the work in the process will actually done by a contractor Nexus Group Inc. not the Assessor or office staff. The BatBlog has obtained a copy of the Contract good from 2015 - 2018, which outlines that the biggest portion of work involved will be done by Nexus with basically the Assessor and staff doing just data entry work and signing off on the work done by Nexus....and mailing out the bi annual tax statements
The BatBlog wonders if this in the best interest of the taxpayer. No wonder it is difficult to get answers from the Assessors office on the discrepancies, errors, and inconsistencies on our tax bills and assessments, when they (Assessor and staff) in fact are answering questions in work they had no part in doing. We we are paying for someone besides the Assessor and staff nearly a million and half over the life of the contract, plus paying salaries to the Assessor and office workers. The BatBlog also wonders if the Assessor's office staff has been reduced since the out sourcing was initiated. With a reduced workload from outsourcing the assessments it would seem there wouldn't be the need for the number of staff as in the past.
With the budget crunch in Clark Co. at a near crisis level it looks like this would a place that costs could be reduced by having the Assessor's office actually do the assessment work. The BatBlog wonders what they are doing in the slow months when there isn't any statements to mail out...
*** Note*** As always the BatBlog welcomes all responses and opposing views
They did actually just reduce employment by 1 person. In return for eliminating the position and returning some of the money from that position back to the county, the council allowed Mrs Haire to give raises to herself ($2700/yr) & her staff ($500/yr). The assessor is now the highest paid official on the first floor (meaning the assessor, clerk, recorder, treasurer, & auditor). Note to the staff that might read this: I never would have given myself that kind of raise. Those under me would have gotten bigger raises and I either would not have taken one or gotten the $500 shaft.
ReplyDeleteWith regards to contracting, the county would rather contract out the work because then they don't have to pay the additional benefits to those contractors.
I would rather have a contract that includes the contractor training some of the assessor's employees on trending and adjustments. I would also be doing the ratio study myself versus contracting that part out. The ratio study is how the county proves to the state that assessed values are in line with market values. It's the gauge of how good of a job the county is doing.
I have other ideas as well, but other, more experienced politicos have warned me not to give away all my ideas else my competition can implement them and take credit for them.
I'm sure Haire and the office workers will appreciate your stating they don't do much work.
ReplyDeleteI would be willing to bet that there are very few people aware of that the office doesn't do the reassessments. Most pay their bills and could care less.
ReplyDeleteCan't even get them to answer the phone...
ReplyDeleteI like Tina's thoughts on reorganizing the office. It sounds like a more cost efficient solution on the Assessor's position.
ReplyDeleteHave never had a problem with the assessor's office and also would not vote for someone who just want to use the office as a platform to tell everyone horrible they think tifs are. I'll be proudly voting for Haire!
ReplyDeleteTina sounds like she has some good ideas, but like she said, keeping some of them under wraps for the reasons stated.
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