Trumbull County engineer seeks return of tax map control from auditor amid technical and legal dispute

Trumbull County Engineer David DeChisterell argued at the commissioners’ workshop that the county must consolidate responsibility for the tax map and its GIS data in the engineer’s office, saying GIS is the tool used to create a comprehensive tax map and the engineer should be accountable for the whole product. “GIS is what you use to create a tax map. It’s like AutoCAD,” DeChisterell said during a lengthy exchange.

Prosecutor Bridal Danzo told the board the offices are permitted to try to resolve disputes but cautioned that, if mediation fails, the county might need outside counsel or an Attorney General opinion — a course that could delay resolution by months. “There’s no existing legal authority that really defines tax map much more than what the statute already does,” Danzo said, describing options if the auditor and engineer cannot agree.

The dispute centers on two conflicting views: the engineer’s office says a tax map includes parcel shapes, labels, parcel numbers, roads and related layers that GIS produces; the auditor’s office interprets the statutory tax-map duty more narrowly and regards much of the additional GIS work as belonging to the auditor’s GIS or IT functions. DeChisterell said the engineer’s office needs “all the components to make it an operating vehicle” before it can accept responsibility.

Commissioners and counsel discussed practical implications for staff if responsibility shifts, noting union contracts, personnel classifications and health-care coverage could complicate a transfer. The prosecutor recommended an initial meeting between the engineer and the auditor this week; DeChisterell and counsel said they would meet Thursday or Friday to try to reach agreement before seeking an Attorney General opinion or litigation.

Several commissioners urged cooperation and faster performance: one commissioner suggested gathering job descriptions from neighboring counties that place tax-map and GIS work under an engineer to bolster the engineer’s operational case. A prosecutor’s aide said the board’s formal role would likely be limited to budget and appointment approvals if the engineer ultimately controls the department.

Next procedural steps recorded at the meeting: the engineer offered to meet with the auditor this week to try to resolve the dispute; commissioners asked that Human Resources be involved in transition planning if a transfer is approved. The board did not take a formal vote during the meeting.