Assessor asks to make part-time staffer full time as office recovers $500,000 in rollback taxes

Morgan County Assessor Janelle Walker told commissioners Aug. 19 she wants to convert a part-time appraisal staffer, Danielle, to a full-time position to handle increased workload; the commission approved the change through the end of the year, pending budget reconciliation.

Walker said Danielle's work on Greenbelt property reviews and short-term rental assessments helped the office recover "a little over $500,000 this year in rollback taxes," which Walker said is roughly three times prior typical collections. Walker asked the commission to approve moving the employee from part-time (29 hours) to full time (40 hours) and noted the prorated cost through the end of the year would be about $15,000, including salary and benefits.

Commissioners discussed budget timing and long-term funding. Finance staff explained the payroll increase could be covered in the remainder of the year by salary savings from a recently vacated appraiser position and that a formal budget amendment would be handled at the next budget cycle. Commissioner concerns focused on the fairness of making a partial-year full-time commitment without assurances for continuation next year; commissioners stressed the change should be temporary if ongoing funding cannot be found.

Walker also reported that legislation passed for 2025 allows the county to use rollback-tax revenues countywide for open-space purchases and that she and Commissioner Nickerson had discussed exploring an "urban farm" greenbelt option for parcels under five acres, which would require a separate commission decision and policy work.

The commission voted to allow the position to convert to full time for the remainder of the year (motion passed). Staff will bring back the budget details during the upcoming amendment process.