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Town manager flags assessor staffing crunch and raises outsourcing option to trim budget
Summary
Town staff told the select board they may propose about $118,000 in budget reductions and described the open assessor position (salary/benefits about $124,000). Contractors responding to outreach estimated assessing services at $80,000–$100,000 annually, a potential line‑item saving if outsourcing proceeds.
Town staff told the Lyman select board that recruiting for the town assessor has been difficult and proposed exploring outsourcing the role as a way to reduce costs. The town manager said the assessor salary and benefits line is about $124,000 and that contractor bids for assessing services run roughly $80,000 to $100,000 a year.
If the board contracted assessing services at the high end of that estimate, the town manager said, the town could cut roughly $24,000 from that personnel line. "I can probably propose a budget reduction of about 118,000," the town manager said as staff outlined broader recommended trimming across departments.
Board members recalled past outsourcing experiences and cautioned about oversight and value for money. One member noted a prior outsourced effort cost about $60,000 (in earlier years) and said the market has changed. The town manager said that, because hiring has been difficult, a short‑term contract for specific tasks (for example, tax commitment work) is likely if a permanent hire is not found.
Staff described practical options: keep the $124,000 line in the budget to allow hiring if a qualified candidate appears, or budget the line and then charge any contracted assessing work to that same account if outside services are used. The board agreed to keep the assessor funding in the draft budget for now while staff pursues recruitment and potential bid specifications for contracting.
The town manager also noted that some contractors recommended retaining an in‑house assistant to handle resident inquiries and some ground work; that combination may reduce overall costs compared with a full daily in‑house assessor.
The select board did not take a formal vote on outsourcing during the workshop and asked staff to continue recruitment and, if outsourcing is pursued, to bring a draft scope or RFP back for discussion at a subsequent meeting.
