Published: May 12, 2008 11:59 pm            

Assessor’s office prepares for change

Current township assessors could move to county office

TERRE HAUTE — Vigo County Assessor Debbie Lewis said it could take as many as six new employees, whether all part time or a mix with full-time employees, to take over assessment duties in the county’s townships.

The Indiana General Assembly, under a property tax relief and restructuring law passed earlier this year, requires the county assessor to take over responsibilities from townships starting July 1. The exception is townships with more than 15,000 property parcels.

Vigo County has 12 townships. Only one township — Harrison Township —has more than 15,000 parcels and voters in a referendum in the Nov. 4 election will decide whether or not to keep those duties with current township assessor Mick Love.

“I have been looking at the township budgets, the number of building permits issued, sales disclosures and the number of appeals to determine how many more people my office will have to have to do this,” Lewis said Monday.

“I have always wanted one full-time person on commercial property, but it may just be several part-time or some full-time [workers]. I have not determined that yet,” Lewis said.

Lewis said state law requires an assessor to have a level 2 assessment rating by 2010 and a level 3, the highest rating, by 2012. Lewis said she would consider hiring some current township assessors who are qualified.

State law allows counties to hire township assessors as deputy county assessors without violating a dual officeholding prohibition in Indiana, Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter said in a legal opinion issued Friday.

“I don’t see anything wrong with that, but we can’t hire all 11 township assessors back,” Lewis said.

Lewis said she thinks Love can make a case to voters to keep assessment duties for Harrison Township. “They are doing good work and are very accessible and have been timely. The referendum will be just like another election for [Love] and he will have to talk to voters and convince them he should stay,” Lewis said.

Love was out of county at a training session Monday and was not in the Harrison Township office. Messages seeking comment were left on his cellular telephone. Love was elected Harrison Township assessor in 2006.

There are five township assessors in Vigo County and seven that have dual roles as trustee/assessors. Those elected officials will continue to receive full salaries and benefits through the end of this year, Carter said in his legal opinion.

While township assessors can continue to hold their title through 2011, the Vigo County Council would not be required to pay the assessors after this year since their duties will be eliminated, Carter said.

This year, Vigo County has budgeted more than $540,000 for township assessors. Of that, more than $249,000 is for Harrison Township. And of that township budget, more than $229,000 is for salaries. The Harrison Township assessor earns $39,045 this year. Other assessor salaries ranged from a low of $9,000 in Riley Township to a high of $19,780 in Honey Creek Township.

“The county does not pay anything for township trustees. The township pays for that on its own property tax levy,” said Vigo County Auditor Jim Bramble. Township trustees provide relief for the poor and fire protection and oversee township cemeteries.

Vigo County could save nearly $200,000 if it pays only about $100,000 for help in the assessor’s office, said Matt Muckler, budget and fiscal policy analyst for the County Council.

“It will depend on what happens in November with Harrison Township,” he said. “It will be something the [county] council will have to consider as it will have less funding next year” because of property tax caps passed by the Indiana General Assembly.

Howard Greninger can be reached at (812) 231-4204 or howard.greninger@tribstar.com.

        

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