Equalization director to share time in Montmorency County

An agreement has been reached between the boards of Commissioners in Presque Isle and Montmorency counties that allows PI equalization director Sharyn Malone to run the equalization offices in both counties. After Montmorency County fired its equalization director, the county was left with a couple of options from the state, including the hiring of an equalization director from an adjoining county.

?Two of the adjoining counties run the same software,? said Malone, Monday from her familiar desk on the first floor of the county courthouse in Rogers City.

The Montmorency County coordinator contacted Malone, who had follow-up discussions with the PI personnel committee. Malone will be in Presque Isle County Monday, Friday, and every other Wednesday, and spend the rest of the time in Montmorency County.

?If this office didn?t run as well, we couldn?t do it,? said Malone, commending staff members in the Rogers City office. Montmorency County won?t be as complicated to run, as it has eight townships and five assessors to deal with, compared to Presque Isle County?s 11 assessors, 14 townships, Rogers City

?The state doesn?t care, as long the combined SEV of both counties doesn?t exceed what a Level 3 equalization director can manage. They have a dollar amount that it can?t exceed,? said Malone. This is the third situation like this in Michigan, but the only one in which two counties are jointly paying the salary of one equalization director, Malone said. PI board members had a concern whether Malone could handle the duties because they don?t want her home county neglected.

?It?s subject to review in September, before the counties do their budgets, so we can make sure it?s working,? she said.

Malone decided to take on the new role because ?it was a challenge, more than anything. ?The state has put all the counties in a budget crunch. It was really a way for them (Montmorency) to get off cheaper.?