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County appraiser asks commissioners for nine staff to handle rapid parcel growth and workload
Summary
County Appraiser Mark Clark requested nine additional permanent positions (9 FTEs) at a cost of $716,135 to meet statutory service levels and industry standards, citing parcel growth (236,175 parcels) and workloads that exceed standard benchmarks.
Mark Clark, the Sedgwick County appraiser, told the commission on May 9 that his office is seeking nine permanent full‑time positions at an estimated cost of $716,135 to keep pace with workload and statutory service requirements. Clark said parcel counts and other account totals have increased sharply and that the office’s parcels‑per‑staff and accounts‑per‑staff metrics exceed industry guidelines.
Clark presented workload data: the office reported about 236,175 real‑property parcels and roughly 36,500 personal‑property accounts, for a total of about 272,675 accounts. With 70 full‑time staff, Clark said the county’s parcels‑per‑staff ratio is about 3,374 and total accounts‑per‑staff is about 3,895 — higher than International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO) or other cited benchmarks that recommend roughly 2,700–3,000 accounts per staff for a county this size.
Why it matters: Clark said high parcels‑per‑staff levels create “a lot of work for staff” and can undermine compliance and quality control. He highlighted that his staff have training plans, new software tools (Apex 7, SPSS, Orion enhancements) and ongoing efforts to modernize valuation workflows, but that rising parcel counts and retirements create staffing gaps. Clark said nine positions are requested in priority order to restore sustainable workloads and preserve service standards.
Commissioner follow‑up: Commissioners asked for more detail about the nine positions and the feasibility of recruiting to the required skill sets; Clark and staff said they would follow up with job descriptions and staffing timelines. Several commissioners noted large single plats and subdivision activity that drive large parcel increases in short periods; Clark pointed to recent plats of 400+ parcels as examples.
Where this stands: The nine‑position request was presented as a decision package for the 2026 budget; no formal vote or adoption occurred during the May 9 session. Commissioners asked appraisal staff for follow‑up information before acting on the package.
