Proposed Budget Cuts Open Township Assessors' Eyes

(posted June 17)

Wayne Township Assessor Mike McCormack thinks the writing is on the wall to end township assessors after seeing all nine township assessor's proposed 2008 budgets being chopped by the city while the county assessor's budget increases. Part of Indy Works' and now Governor Mitch Daniels' proposals are to end township trustees and assessors and consolidate them under one entity.

McCormack's budget was cut by 15.9 percent and he thinks he might have to lay people off or reduce the work week, especially if utilities soar this winter. He said $85,000 was chopped from his salary budget alone.

The proposed 2008 budget for the county assessor's office is increasing payroll from $442,296 in 2007 to a proposed $1,117,334.

That is a 179.1% percent increase," McCormack said. He noted the actual budget in 2006 for Personal Services that included salaries and benefits was $582,450.

McCormack is having a hard time grasping the county assessor's increase when the City is suppose to be cutting spending. The last number he heard from the August 6 report was that the County Assessor's total budget jumped from $872,581 to $2,475,472. That is $183.7 percent increase.

Margaret Arthur of Eagledale Neighborhood Association (ENA) does not want to see the elimination of the local assessor. She said McCormack and his staff have been very helpful. He even assisted the ENA in its efforts to block a night club from entering at the southeast corner of 34th and Moller Road.

Pike Township Deputy Assessor Teresa Bates said the proposed 13.5 percent budget cut is not final, but Township Assessor Barbara Hurst and her staff are examining it to see how it could effect operations without disrupting good customer service. One service that customers appreciate is the ability to file their property exemptions at the assessor's office to avoid a trip downtown to the auditor's office. She said the assessor's office submits the tax exempt information to the auditor's office on their behalf. Bates said the budget cuts were fairly even across the board for all nine townships.