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Orange County <br />Board of Commissioners <br />Action Agenda Item Abstract <br />Meeting Date: January 18, 2000 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. 9--L <br />Subject: Establishment of Time Limited Tax Clerk Position Funded With Revaluation Funds <br />Department: Tax Assessor and Personnel Public Hearing: Yes No X <br />Budget Amendment <br />Needed: Yes No X <br />Attachment(s): Information Contact: <br />John Smith, Tax Assessor <br />None Extension 2101 <br />Elaine Holmes, Personnel Director <br />Extension 2550 <br />Telephone Number: <br />Hillsborough 732-8181 <br />Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br />Durham 688-7331 <br />Mebane 227-2031 <br />Purpose: To consider establishing a new permanent full-time, time-limited Tax Clerk <br />position with an ending date of December 31, 2001 to provide clerical and technical support <br />to the 2001 revaluation process. <br />Background: The Assessors office is in the middle of the cyclical (every four years) <br />process of reappraising all 45,000 plus properties in Orange County in preparation for the <br />implementation of the countywide revaluation that takes effect on January 1, 2001. Counties <br />are mandated by state statute to set funds aside every year for the implementation of <br />revaluations. Also by statute, these funds remain in the Revaluation account and <br />accumulate every year. Therefore, Revaluation has its own budget with very little being <br />spent except in the year just before the revaluation becomes effective and then in the year of <br />the revaluation (2000 and 2001). Typically, funds are spent the year prior, to cover the <br />expenses of adding staffing to support current appraisal staff with their significantly increased <br />responsibilities during revaluation years. Then in the year of the revaluation funds are spent <br />on staffing needs related to providing excellent customer service, assisting citizens in getting <br />answers to their revaluation questions, and in the process of hearing and reviewing appeals. <br />The number of permanent positions in the Assessor's Office has declined from 19 in FY <br />1991-92 to 12 for FY 1999-2000, with resources allocated to other priorities, including 3 <br />positions shifted during the past several years to the Revenue Department. However, with <br />the increased workload in revaluation years, some staffing assistance of a fixed duration is <br />needed with regard to revaluation efforts.