Equalization Assistant

Allegan  County has much to offer, with 24 Townships, 9 Cities, and 2 Villages across nearly 900 square miles. The landscapes range from the lakeshore to beautifully wooded lands, our County’s natural resources are a gift to be treasured. Allegan County businesses, citizens, and employees are world-class, and we remain a welcoming, closely-knit community. We are one of the fastest-growing counties in Michigan.
Allegan County Government places high importance on our core values: Respect, Integrity, Commitment and Honesty. A common thread among our leadership, employees and volunteers is a strong desire to serve and be part of something meaningful. We have been recognized by Gallagher as “Best in Class Winner” among mid-size companies for our excellence in optimizing employee and organizational well-being for three years in a row (2023-2025). We have also received the “Impact Award” from M.E.R.S. for excellence in educating our employees about their retirement plans and overall financial wellness. We are looking for dedicated, caring, energetic people to join our team!

Job Summary : 
The position reviews the accuracy of the legal description, chain of title and the type of sale for all sale records (deeds) and enters all sales records into department’s assessing software; Oversees the residential sales studies, communicates with the local unit assessors on these sales and determines the validity of the sales used in the study; Provides administrative support for Equalization and other departments in the County Services Building as needed with supply ordering, processing accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, etc. Acts as receptionist for the County Services Building and manages a fleet of four county cars for use by County employees on business.

Starting Wage : $24.26 per hour, full-time

Excellent Benefits Plan:  Health benefits begin on the first of the month after your hire date
- Medical, Dental & Vision (3 medical plans to choose from, 2 of which have a $0 premium)
- County-funded Health Savings Account with our two high-deductible medical plans
- County-paid employee life insurance coverage
- County-paid short-term disability coverage, up to 52 weeks
- Generous retirement plan, including a county contribution of 7% of your annual earnings
- Tuition Reimbursement Program for college degree courses
- Generous PTO plan, including front-loaded hours into PTO bank at hire, and annually on January 1.
- 13 paid holidays, in addition to PTO
- FREE use of Allegan County government's two fitness centers 

 
Responsibilities and Duties:  

1. Analyzes all documents recorded at the Register of Deeds each day, reviews and determines the validity of the legal descriptions using Assessors Manual and identifies deeds for property splits and forwards to technician and assessor for approval and completion.
2. Analyzes the type of sale, ascertains if succession of property title is valid and enter into the department’s assessing software using the proper coding.  Once entered, files by unit and send monthly to assessors via mail or upload to the share point site. 
3. Enters date Property Transfer Affidavits (PTA) and Real Property Statements (RPS) into the associated sale record in the department’s assessing software
4. Files PTAs and distributes RPS forms to appropriate equalization appraiser and unit assessor. 
5. Communicates with assessors on sales contentions, prints and distributes completed studies, finalizes residential assessment-to-sales ratio study results with Director.
6. Collects, compiles, scans and saves annual equalization databases and reports received from unit assessors (33 assessors total) after the March Board of Review. Reviews assessors’ information for accuracy. 
7. Assists with compilation of Annual Equalization Report, which is published to the Allegan County public website. Requires full understanding of valuation summaries of assessed and taxable value as well as the ability to communicate them, making recommendations for changes, as appropriate.
8. Distributes Headlee Amendment packets to all taxing authorities and collects all completed Form L-4029 Millage Request Forms from all taxing authorities for annual apportionment reporting.
9. Answers property questions by providing maps, legal descriptions, deeds or referral to local officials. Manages invoices and accounts payable, enters payroll, orders supplies and files a variety of documents.

Required Education and Experience : 

• High School Diploma or equivalent (G.E.D.).
• One (1) year of customer service and clerical office experience.
• Three (3) years of experience reading and understanding legal property descriptions on deeds and / or surveys.
• Michigan Certified Assessing Technician (MCAT) certification required within 24 months of hire.
• Previous training or experience in Graphic Information Systems and assessing preferred

*Candidates must pass a drug screen (which includes testing for THC) in order to be hired for this position.

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