HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 09-15-2009 - 6bORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: September 15, 2009
Action Agenda
Item No. (p - b
SUBJECT• Reorganization of Revenue and Assessor's Office
DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No
ATTACHMENT(S):
INFORMATION CONTACT:
Proposed Tax Administrator Organizational Frank Clifton, County Manager, 245-2300
Chart
Current Tax Collector Organizational Chart
Current Tax Assessor's Organizational
Chart
PURPOSE: To inform the Board of proposed plans related to the merging of the Assessor's
Office and Revenue into one department to allow for a smooth and efficient transition while
working to maintain the same levels in quality service currently provided to the public.
BACKGROUND: On January 22, 2009 the Board approved a contract with Barry Strock
Consulting Associates to begin the implementation of the Property Information Management
Software System (PIMS) for managing land records and property taxation. Staff in both the Tax
Assessor and Revenue Offices have been assigned to concentrate on the implementing,
testing, and training of the PIMS system.
Upcoming retirements in the Tax Assessor's Office have provided staff with the opportunity to
develop a plan for continued high levels of customer service while implementing the PIMS
system; as well as provide additional efficiencies in the County's operations.
To continue the Board's charge to develop efficiencies within the organization, staff is reviewing
the consolidation of the Tax Assessor's Office and Revenue Department. The consolidation will
become official with the December 31, 2009 retirement of Tax Assessor John Smith. The new
department will be titled as the Tax Office and will be led by a Tax Administrator. The newly
created Tax Office will be responsible for the continued listing, assessing, tax/revenue
collections, and land records.
Benefits of this consolidation will include increased efficiency and functionality. This will be
attained by allowing cross-training among functions and continuing to foster strong coordination
and cooperation among the divisions within the department. Consolidation will also provide the
flexibility to move resources in order to support specific functions during peak periods. This
flexibility will enhance the department's service to the public.
2
To foster a smooth transition when consolidating the two departments, current Revenue
Director Jo Roberson can be appointed as the Tax Administrator. Ms. Roberson has worked for
Orange County for over nine years and has an impeccable tax collection rate. During Ms.
Roberson's tenure she has worked closely with the Tax Assessor's Office to develop a cohesive
relationship between the functions.
To continue the current PIMS implementation process, staff has extended the retirement date
for two current Tax Assessor employees. One employee has been extended until November 1,
2009 and the other staff member has been extended through December 31, 2009. There are at
least one and potentially two additional employees retiring from the Assessor's office; however
their retirement dates are not being extended. Staff will further work with three retired
employees from the Tax Assessor's Office. These retirees will work through contract services
provided in the PIMS project. The contract will be negotiated by the County Manager, with the
total amount to be paid to each person not to exceed fifty percent of the respective annual
salary. The contracts will be structured to begin thirty days after the employees' retirement
dates and continue through December 31, 2010. These contracts are critical to the successful
implementation of the PIMS project.
To enhance current operations, the departments will consider the outsourcing of part of the
responsibilities of the County's EMS initial billing and insurance filing process. Staff is reviewing
processes for outsourcing with EMS Management and Consultants. Functions to be
outsourced include medical insurance filing and processing appeals for denials of insurance
coverage on behalf of clients served. Outsourcing of these duties will allow existing staff to
work on stronger collections of those accounts not resolved voluntarily. Additional information
concerning this proposal will be coming to the Board in October.
The departments will also investigate the benefits of outsourcing the business personal property
listing functions. Staff has been tracking the pilot program between Tax Management
Associates and Durham County over the last twelve months. This group has staff dedicated to
actively seeking out and reviewing business personal property and locating under-listed or non-
listed business.
Outsourcing these functions will allow the department to realign resources to better serve the
consolidation, provide a smoother transition to the new tax software (PIMS), and improve the
current listing process.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The consolidation of the two departments will require the reclassification
of one position to the Tax Administrator. Other reclassification action will likely occur, but not on
an immediate basis. This cost can be covered by salary savings from retirees in the Tax
Assessor's Office.
The contract cost of three retired employees will not exceed a total of $111,631. This cost will
be funded through the PIMS project. There should be no direct impact to the savings through
employee salary freeze.
The potential cost for outsourcing with EMS Management and Consultants would be between
$116,000 and $122,000. It is believed that with the outsourcing of this portion of current
operations, staff would then have the potential to increase overall collections. It is believed that
the cost can be procured through added delinquent collections.
3
The estimated cost for outsourcing with Tax Management Associates would be between $13 to
$15 dollars per listing. Currently there are approximately 4,000 business listings.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Interim Manager recommends that the Board appoint Jo
Roberson as Tax Administrator for a term to run consistent with Ms. Roberson's current
appointment to begin upon the retirement of Tax Assessor John Smith; and that the Board
authorize the Interim Manager and staff to:
1) Continue efforts towards consolidation of the Tax Assessor's Office and Revenue
Department;
2) Develop contractual agreements with retired employees in the Tax Assessor's
Office; and
3) Continue efforts to review outsourcing the County's EMS initial billing and
insurance filing process and the business personal property listing functions.
ORANGE COUNTY TAX ADMINISTRATOR
ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
SEPTEMBER 2009
PROPOSED - TO BE SUBMITTED FOR APPROVAL AT A LATER DATE
TAX ADMINISTRATOR
ADMINISTRATIVE
ASSISTANT II
DEPUTY GIS DATABASE
ASSESSOR ADMINISTRATOR
DEPUTY
REVENUE
DIRECTOR
5
Tax Collector
Revenue Director/
Tax Collector
(1)
Deputy Deputy Tax
Revenue Director Collector
(~) (2)
Revenue
Revenue Technician II
Technician II (~ )
(4)
Administrative
Assistant II
Revenue Technician I (~ )
(1)
Tax Clerk/Revenue Technician I
WRRR Fee Coordinator
(~)
Revenue Technician I
Stormwater Fee Coordinator-Information Desk
(2)
Tax Assessor's Office
Tax Assessor
Grade 29
(1)
Cheif Appraiser/
Deputy Tax Asr.
Grade 24
(1)
Tax Usting 8 ~ ~ Current Appraisal
Billing Use Program
Tax Appraiser 11
Clerk I Grade 19
Grade 11 (4)
(4)
Appraiser I
Grade 16
(1)
FY 2009 -10
Revaluation
Business Appraisal
Personal .Technician
Property Grade 12
(1)
Business/Personal
Property Appraiser
Grade 19
(1)
GIS Database
Administrator
Grade 19
(1)
Appraiser i GIS Mapper II
Grade 16 Grade 14
(1) (2)
GIS Mapper)
Grade 12
(2)
6~