A representative speaking for the Tax Assessor‑Collector's office told the court the office’s proposed budget represents about a 2% increase and described several unavoidable cost pressures, including postage and biennial voter‑registration work.

Why it matters: the Assessor‑Collector’s office handles registration, titles and tax collections for numerous taxing entities; increased operating costs can affect service delivery and require the court to consider budget tradeoffs.

Key details: the speaker said the budget is "just about 2% increase," and cited specific cost drivers: increased postage driven by mailings for registration renewals; a capital outlay of $8,500 for equipment; increases tied to vendor contracts and insurance; higher travel reimbursements and utility allocations requested by the auditor’s office; and training costs to ensure staff can handle complex, multi‑step transactions. The speaker gave workload figures: "Last year alone, we processed 62,817 ... 11,202 titles ... and collect tax on 39,900 different parcels," noting the office manages transactions for multiple school districts, ESDs, cities and conservation districts.

Service and staffing concerns: the assessor's representative emphasized the need to keep wages competitive to retain staff who handle high‑volume, technical tasks: "I urge you when you're studying this budget to keep in mind, and every employee and what way you use... They deserve it." He also raised vehicle condition and the need to replace aging pickup and Tahoe vehicles used in field work.

Ending: commissioners asked clarifying questions about line items and timing; the assessor's representative said he would provide more detail in subsequent workshops.