A new department to mitigate aggravation?

We haven’t seen our rate-adjusted tax bill or had the first meeting with the Board of Equalization, so why are our Supervisors suddenly rushing to create a permanent assessment office based on numbers from “another jurisdiction”? There is precedent for handling contractors who leave a mess behind, but it isn’t hiring a permanent four-person cleaning crew.

The 5/2/23 meeting hinted at the reluctance to reveal the true cost of this drive-by, but the contract, the RFP, and the proposal should be reviewed. $16.50 per home x 16922 homes = $279,213 plus farmland, commercial, and industrial ran up a bill so far of $460K! I tried to learn more, but three FOIAs later, I had: we don’t “answer questions,” one sketchy back-of-an-envelope table comparing four contractors, and an “estimate” of $37.45 for a wee peek at digital documents. I saw the Hope diamond for less. You go first.

If I hear nonsense from enough different people, I might start believing that finished basements lower the price per square foot, but not that $460K every four years ($115K a year) will staff a four-member department, buy them cars, computers, office space, and add them to a healthcare plan.

Creating a whole new department makes less sense than the reassessment did.

C.A. Wulf
Warren County