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Assessor outlines $102.5 million tax roll, staffing shortfall and efficiency gains
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Summary
Assessor Andrea Jerkowitz reviewed the tax-roll Table 8 (total estimated tax revenue $102,497,631.04), described e-filing and GIS improvements, reported 5,962 new-construction vouchers processed and noted the office is understaffed relative to the state-recommended 17.3 FTE (currently 14).
Andrea Jerkowitz, the county assessor, delivered a detailed department update March 11 that covered the tax-roll compilation, electronic filing improvements, GIS upgrades and staffing and succession planning.
Jerkowitz told the board that Table 8, the compilation of district-by-district assessed value, shows Columbia County's total expected tax collections for the 2025— 2026 period as $102,497,631.04. She reviewed the assessment calendar and statutory deadlines (appeals, deferral questionnaires and capital grant certification) and stressed the office's publishing and transparency practices: the ratio study and full tax-roll data are available on the county website.
She reported operational efficiencies since the office began importing permit data into its valuation system and rolling out business personal property e-filing: the office processed 5,962 new-construction vouchers and completed field reviews on a subset of those. Jerkowitz said the county now uses GIS layers and coordinated IGAs with some cities to keep permit and zoning data consistent across jurisdictions.
Staffing was a focal point: Jerkowitz said the state's staffing model recommends 17.3 FTE for assessment and taxation; the office currently operates at 14. She described succession planning for two longtime staff approaching retirement and said the office is building cross-training and a five-year staffing plan.
Other items: the assessor explained how business personal property thresholds work (approximate filing threshold noted in the packet) and that the office created 239 new accounts after a county-wide compliance effort; 1,559 accounts were reviewed for potential audits. She also described a successful Esri/GIS server upgrade paid by a state grant and work to create a mobile field app for appraisers to improve safety and routing.
What's next: The assessor will continue to refine the budget estimate (including a new uncollectibles column) and to implement cross-training and succession plans; staff told commissioners they will file required CAPA and grant certifications this spring.
