Published: May 15, 2008 12:28 am            

Reform creates more work for assessor

Finding those funds is not going to be easy — or free.

Lebanon — Boone County is “probably missing millions of dollars” in tax revenue, County Assessor Lisa Garoffolo told the County Council Tuesday.

Finding those funds is not going to be easy — or free.

House Enrolled Act 1001, the property tax reform bill passed by the Indiana General Assembly, will probably make it harder to find those millions, because as of July 1 fewer government officials will be looking.

Much of the missing revenue is because “real property” — manufacturing machines and other equipment — in industrial areas has been overlooked by township assessors.

“Things like street lights imbedded in the ground would be personal property,” Garoffolo said.

On July 1, 964 of Indiana’s 1,008 township assessors will be out of jobs — but not necessarily paychecks — when assessment responsibilities shift to the 92 county assessors. The township assessors will remain in office in the state’s 44 townships that have more than 15,000 pieces of property.

“That’s 26 jobs dumped in my lap,” Garoffolo said Wednesday.

Tuesday night, Garoffolo officially told Boone County’s township assessors their jobs would disappear on July 1. HEA 1001 gave her until today to make that announcement.

July 1 is also the deadline for township assessors to submit property tax records to the assessor, Garoffolo said.

Tuesday, she gave the county council two options for collecting tax information.

One would allow her to manage the township assessors, with help from Government Utilities Technology Services, a private firm which in April 2007 was awarded a $951,800 contract to help Boone County with reassessment needs.

Under the first option, GUTS would provide support work, while Garoffolo’s office would do data entry for personal property and mobile homes; former township assessors who meet training requirements would do personal property form work, and staff offices.

The other option, which would cost $90,000, turn those duties over to GUTS.

The county pays for reassessment through a tax levy; the fund has about $353,000 available for the rest of the year, Boone County Deputy Auditor Pat Martin said.

The money was budgeted for the 2006 reassessment, Martin said. The county council must approve any use of those funds.

Garoffolo said more money will be necessary, no matter which option the county council chooses.

“There’s no question,” she said. “Every county is going to need more money.”

        

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