(Atlantic) The Cass County Board of Supervisors has started the process to hire a new County Assessor. This past Thursday, County Assessor Brenda Nelson announced she had taken the job as the Ames City Assessor. Her last day in the Cass County Office is May 26.
The Conference Board met late Thursday, afternoon, and Cass County Supervisor Chairman Steve Baier said the County has already posted the job. “I wouldn’t say we are feeling a sense of urgency,” said Baier. “However, I admit everybody would be glad to have it back in place.”
Baier says some Counties have difficulty hiring an Assessor because of the small pool of candidates. The job requires appraisal experience, educational credits, and passing a state exam to be an Assessor in Iowa. “There’s been an upward push in salaries because of that,” said Baier. “It’s also one of those jobs you here kids say, I want to be a County Assessor when I grow up. So it’s not like there is a pool of young people getting educated for the job. It’s one of those professions a person grows into.”
Currently, the Auditor’s Office is overseeing the Assessor’s Office. County Auditor Dale Sunderman retained the remaining employees in the Assessor’s Office, and there is some experience within with Deputy Auditor Mary Anstey, who previously served as a Deputy Assessor. “We have people on staff that can handle things, so there’s not a fear the wheels are going to fall off,” said Baier. “But we do want to keep the process moving forward.”
The Board has contacted the Iowa Department of Revenue for a qualified list of Assessors in Iowa. The County Examining Board has seven days to conduct background checks and interviews. The committee will go through the list and cross-check any applicants the County Supervisors receive. The Committee then has 16 days to examine the applicants and 15-days to recommend one or more candidates to the Conference Board.
