Council extends assessing services contract with WCA Assessing at $552,591 for first year

The Westland City Council voted to approve a three-year extension of a professional services agreement with WCA Assessing to provide full operation of the city’s assessing department.

The contract covers services for the period starting July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2028. The first-year amount was listed as not to exceed $552,591, with 5% increases planned for years two and three.

Councilman Doug Hart, who moved the contract, noted questions raised about whether assessing should be returned to in-house city staff. “Why don’t we bring assessing back in house as it used to be here in the city of Westland?” Hart asked during discussion, then explained the practical challenges: an ongoing shortage of certified Level 4 assessors across Michigan and the related administrative staffing requirements.

Hart said Jennifer Stamper, the city’s current assessor provided through the vendor, does excellent work and that the administration’s explanation about limited in-house capacity supported continuing the WCA contract. A separate council member cautioned against disparaging remarks about vendor staff.

The motion carried with no dissent recorded.

What the council approved: a three-year professional services extension with WCA Assessing, amount not to exceed $552,591 for the first year with 5% increases in subsequent years, covering July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2028.

Why it matters: Assessing services affect property valuations, tax rolls and appeals; the contract determines who performs technical and clerical assessing tasks for the city.

Next steps: Administration and WCA Assessing will implement the contract to continue assessing operations on the stated schedule.