Essex County treasurer warns low Compensation Board reimbursements squeeze local services
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Summary
Treasurer Penny told the Board of Supervisors the county’s treasurer office is understaffed relative to workload and that Compensation Board reimbursements lag current salary needs; she urged legislative fixes and the board said it would notify Delegate Keith Hodges. The presentation included workload metrics and operational limits of online payments and reimbursements.
Treasurer Penny told the Essex County Board of Supervisors on March 2 that the treasurer’s office faces mounting workload and funding strains that the Compensation Board’s current reimbursement formulas do not reflect.
Penny presented the office’s packet and budget worksheets and said the office’s approved compensation budget was listed at $157,216 with a portion reimbursable to the county. “An entry level for my office is $28,360,” Penny said, adding that that pay rate makes it difficult to hire and retain staff and that the treasurers’ association is pressing the General Assembly for adjustments. She said the association hopes amendments will raise pay, which would increase the county’s cost but improve staffing stability.
The treasurer highlighted several operational pressures. A recent workload study showed land‑parcel records rising from 1,955 in 2023 to 2,034 in 2025, producing a weighted staffing need the study quantified as roughly 37.82% beyond current resourcing. Penny also described daily operational load: the office handles collections not only for county real estate but for schools, parks & recreation, EMS, transient occupancy/short‑term rental taxes and business licenses; it reconciles multiple monthly accounts and forwards certain state tax receipts the next business day.
Board members pressed for detail on reimbursements and operational limits: Penny said some online payment features are limited (real estate bills can be registered for automatic payment; personal property cannot be tied in because of confidentiality), and that the office fields high call volumes — roughly 2,500 incoming calls to the treasurer’s direct line over six months. She also noted the office must process returned payments and apply return‑check fees, adding clerical burden.
The board discussed options for raising awareness and legislative outreach. One supervisor urged the board to contact Delegate Keith Hodges to press for adjustments to reimbursement policies; another noted the county may be able to better document services provided on behalf of towns to increase comp‑board reimbursements.
The meeting did not include any formal vote on budget allocations for the treasurer; board members asked staff to continue tracking workload and potential revenue streams that could offset local costs. The board adjourned without adopting a final budget at this session.