Chad Jones, supervisor of assessments, told the Ways and Means Committee on Nov. 24 that the office’s primary work right now is supporting board review appeals, with staff attending many hearings and assisting township assessors on commercial appeals. “Main thing we're working on right now is board review appeals,” Jones said.

Jones reported one township assessor who handled multiple accounts (Akron/Princeville/Halleck) is retiring effective Jan. 1 and that county staff are helping townships identify prospective replacements; if positions remain vacant the county must perform the work and bill the township. He told the committee the office has been holding hearings four days a week to manage the review workload.

Committee members asked about continuity and how retirements are handled; Jones said assessors are employed by townships, typically notify the county when winding down and his office helps with planning and vetting to avoid service gaps.