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Front-counter staffing, postage pain points spotlighted in Treasurer's budget hearing
Summary
Treasury staff warned commissioners that staff cuts would lengthen service lines and cited rising postage and insurance costs; commissioners asked about kiosks, appointments and digital mailings as partial fixes.
A county office presenter told commissioners the office had applied only modest increases for salaries (2.5%) but raised supplies and insurance line items to reflect higher postage costs and an 11% insurance projection. The speaker described peak-period lines that sometimes last two to three hours and said cutting staff would make the situation "piss poor customer service."
Commissioners pressed for policy options to reduce counter wait times, including kiosks, appointment systems and electronic mailing of tax notices. The presenter said prior kiosk deployments were moved to Vermillion and that an appointment-only model would not eliminate lines for customers who prefer in-person service. Commissioners asked staff to model options and return with cost/benefit analyses before the provisional budget vote.
"We don't get through mail in a day, and we can't answer phones," the presenter said, describing the operational trade-offs between counter service and back-office tasks. Commissioners acknowledged the tension between service levels and budget limits and asked the auditor to include any feasible program efficiencies in next-week revenue and operational briefings.
