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MEMORANDUM
TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Carol J. Huchingson, County Administrative Officer
DATE: October 24, 2017
SUBJECT: Consideration of request to extend the Assessor-Recorder and Treasurer-Tax Collector’s temporary modification of front office hours of operation through December 31, 2017.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Standard County public office hours are Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm, per section 2-2, 2.2 of Article I, Chapter 2, of the Lake County Code. Noon hour closures are permitted under limited “Extraordinary circumstances,” and any other departures must be approved by your Board.
As you are aware, Cathy Saderlund, Auditor-Controller/County Clerk, Richard Ford, Assessor-Recorder, and Barbara Ringen, Treasurer-Tax Collector, requested your approval for temporary modification of public front office hours in early 2017. Your Board unanimously approved these requests, allowing modification of office hours through June 30, 2017.
We applaud Cathy Saderlund for rebuilding capacity and returning to normal public office hours June 19, 2017.
Both the Assessor-Recorder and Treasurer-Tax Collector offices continue public office hours of 9am-12pm and 1-4pm. Understaffing and limited capacity persists due to turnover of employees.
Mr. Ford’s March report to your Board appropriately noted the County’s Property Tax base is critical to every area of County operations; our office estimates Property Taxes represent 50-55% of new General Fund revenue.
The Assessor-Recorder and the Treasurer Tax Collector both play crucial roles; these offices’ success and the overall success of the County go hand in hand. Failure to make timely assessments has consequences, increasing property owners’ odds of property tax default and loss of potential tax revenue by the County; action to collect defaulted obligations takes considerable Treasurer-Tax Collector staff time. Annual tax sales reimburse delinquent tax debts and even help make affordable housing stock available to Lake County residents.
There are six vacancies in full-time positions in the Assessor-Recorder’s staff, of twenty-two allocated full-time equivalents; three of six allocated Appraiser positions are vacant. There are four full-time positions vacant in the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s office, of ten allocated full-time equivalents. Both departments have vacancies at the leadership level, impacting the development of new staff.
We are working with both offices, creatively problem solving capacity needs. Efforts have included job fairs hosted by HR, seeking support from other Counties and contractors and prioritizing revenue dense workloads. We request more time to develop solutions that serve the County of Lake’s long-term interests.
Both Mr. Ford and Ms. Ringen are expected to be present, to update your Board on their progress and ongoing needs.
FISCAL IMPACT: _X_ None __Budgeted __Non-Budgeted
Estimated Cost:
Amount Budgeted:
Additional Requested:
Annual Cost (if planned for future years):
FISCAL IMPACT (Narrative): None
STAFFING IMPACT (if applicable): None
Recommended Action
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Approve extension of the Assessor-Recorder and Treasurer-Tax Collector’s temporary modification of front office hours of operation through December 31, 2017.