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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 01-20-2000 - 8lOrange County Board of Commissioners Action Agenda Item Abstract Meeting Date: January 18, 2000 Action Agenda Item No. ~..~ Subject: Establishment of Time Limited Tax Clerk Position Funded With Revaluation Funds Department: Tax Assessor and Personnel Public Hearing: Yes No X Budget Amendment Needed: Yes No X Attachment(s): Information Contact: John Smith, Tax Assessor None Extension 2101 Elaine Holmes, Personnel Director Extension 2550 Telephone Number: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 227-2031 Purpose: To consider establishing a new permanent full-time, time-limited Tax Clerk position with an ending date of December 31, 2001 to provide clerical and technical support to the 2001 revaluation process. Background: The Assessor's office is in the middle of the cyclical (every four years) process of reappraising all 45,000 plus properties in Orange County in preparation for the implementation of the countywide revaluation that takes effect on January 1, 2001. Counties are mandated by state statute to set funds aside every year for the implementation of revaluations. Also by statute, these funds remain in the Revaluation account and accumulate every year. Therefore, Revaluation has its own budget with very little being spent except in the year just before the revaluation becomes effective and then in the year of the revaluation (2000 and 2001). Typically, funds are spent the year prior, to cover the expenses of adding staffing to support current appraisal staff with their significantly increased responsibilities during revaluation years. Then in the year of the revaluation funds are spent on staffing needs related to providing excellent customer service, assisting citizens in getting answers to their revaluation questions, and in the process of hearing and reviewing appeals. The number of permanent positions in the Assessor's OfFce has declined from 19 in FY 1991-92 to 12 for FY 1999-2000, with resources allocated to other priorities, including 3 positions shifted during the past several years to the Revenue Department. However, with the increased workload in revaluation years, some staffing assistance of a fixed duration is needed with regard to revaluation efforts. 2 Currently, the Assessor's in-house revaluation team is engaged in the process of researching sales, making field reviews and ultimately establishing new property values on a diverse world of 45,000 different properties. These efforts are extremely time consuming but are required in the implementation of a successful revaluation. The additional duties performed during revaluation require that permanent office staff spend less time on their primary day-to- day functions and more time on revaluation appraisals. This new time-limited position is being proposed to provide additional clerical support and to allow current staff more time on revaluation appraisal duties. Specifically, the proposed position will enter sales, new construction, location and other data in computer files; qualify and disqualify sales data, print/update maps, file property record cards and copy deeds/plats. The proposed position, which is already funded through the revaluation budget, will lend much needed support to the appraisal staff, and will make the following outcomes possible: 1.) Maintain an up to date sales file with sales entered within only days of recordation as well as maintaining zoning maps. This will provide the appraiser with atl available sales data, as well as zoning data resulting in more accurate appraisals. 2.) Free up appraisal staff, to allow for more on site visits resulting in cleaner data and more accurate revaluation appraisals. This will allow appraisers to review all sales and all map areas rather then just concentrating on problem areas and will allow staff to actually visit most map areas rather then just problem areas as well. 3.) Free up appraisal staff to allow appraisers to spend time now in the development of revaluation land and building schedules allowing staff to present updated schedules to the BOCC by April 2000 instead of October. 4.) Allow for the completion of the 2001 revaluation by October 2000. This is critical since it will allow for the mailing of revaluation notices mid to late November rather than the usual December or January. Thus we will have heard most of the revaluation appeals prior to mailing tax-listing forms in January. Personnel has reviewed the duties and responsibilities of the position and found it to be comparable to the existing class of Tax Clerk at Salary Grade 62 with a hiring range of $22,682 to $27,787. Financial Impact: The estimated annual cost of this position is about $31,000. The estimated cost for the remainder of the current fiscal year (January through June) is about $15,500. Funding for this position is available through the revaluation fund. It requires no funding from the County general fund. Recommendation: The Manager recommends the Board establish the new permanent full- time, time-limited Tax Clerk position at Salary Grade 62 with an ending date of December 31, 2001.