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Equalization director highlights GIS growth, staffing pressures and succession planning
Summary
Director Jim Baker reported that personnel make up about 83% of the combined equalization and GIS budget, highlighted high public use of the county parcel viewer and urged planning for GIS capacity as his likely retirement approaches in three years.
Jim Baker, director of equalization, briefed the board on equalization and county GIS work, staffing and budget realities.
Baker said the combined equalization and GIS budget is heavily personnel-driven — “83% of the cost is personnel” — and described the department’s responsibilities, ongoing training requirements for assessing staff and how GIS work supports many county services, including 9-1-1 dispatch and parcel-viewer tools.
Baker highlighted the parcel viewer’s usage, noting it receives roughly 103,000 hits per year, and said GIS licensing and coordination with other departments (for example, the road commission) have expanded the county’s capabilities. He said the office has recently filled vacancies and is working to retain staff, but warned that retention and the cost of training remain an ongoing concern.
Baker said he expects a transition in leadership in the coming years and suggested the board consider whether GIS should be reestablished as a standalone department with more training and succession planning.
What’s next: Baker and commissioners agreed to continue workforce and succession planning; the board thanked staff and acknowledged the value of GIS for county operations.
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