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Hooksett weighing temporary assessing help after assessor departure; professional services may cover measure-and-list work
Summary
With the town assessor position vacant, staff proposed using professional-services funds and temporary outside help for measure-and-list work rather than hiring an additional part‑time employee; the assessing budget includes roughly $49,700 for contracted services.
Budget materials reviewed by the committee show the assessing department proposed a $262,020 budget, an increase driven in part by requests for more measure-and-list work and the option of part‑time or temporary help after the town assessor left.
Staff told the committee they prefer to use the professional-services line and short-term contracted help for peak periods (for example, when tax billing and property inspections increase) instead of immediately adding a part‑time hire. Finance staff explained the professional-services budget historically covers vendors who perform measure-and-list work and enter property data into the municipal Vision system.
Committee members asked whether the town had sought competitive bids for measure-and-list vendors. Staff said there are a limited number of firms that provide the full field-measure-and-list service; the town has used vendors who record measured changes that are then entered into Vision. The committee also discussed the timing of the five‑year revaluation process, which is procured separately and can materially affect assessed values.
Why this matters: Accurate measures and timely property records are essential for fair assessment and tax billing. Staffing decisions (temp help vs. a new hire) affect salary and benefit costs and the department’s ability to process permits and addenda in busy months.
What was not decided: Committee members did not direct immediate hiring and agreed to use the professional-services line to fund temporary assistance if necessary while recruitment efforts continue.
Staff said: "As the information is collected out in the field ... that information is brought back and entered into the Vision system," describing how measure-and-list vendors feed data into the assessing workflow.
