Wayne renews three-year assessing contract with WCA; assessor says state law requires a signing assessor

The Wayne City Council on March 4 voted to approve a three-year contract with Wayne County Assessing (WCA) to provide the city's assessing services. The contract includes a 5% increase for the first year and adds an additional half day of in-person service in the city office.

Jennifer, a contract assessor with WCA, told the council that assessing services are required under the General Property Tax Act of the state of Michigan and described the assessor's duties: supervising preparation of the assessment roll, ensuring properties are accurately measured and assessed for fair and equitable value using comparable sales and a state-approved cost manual. "It is required that there is a signing assessor," she said.

Council members asked about service levels; the WCA representative said WCA has provided contract assessing services to Wayne since 2014 and requested the additional half day to expand resident access (WCA previously staffed two half-days per week and will move to one full day on Monday). The 5% annual increase was described as WCA's standard annual adjustment applied across its contracts.

A council member also asked whether assessors currently use drones for property assessment. Jennifer said no municipality is currently using drones for assessment in Michigan because legal guidance from the state legislature is pending and there are concerns about trespass and privacy.

The council approved the contract renewal by voice vote. The transcript does not record individual roll-call tallies; the finance department will execute the contract and pay from the general fund and the finance department budget as indicated on the agenda.