Highland opts to stick with county for assessments

The Highland Township Board of Trustees decided at its Wednesday, Sept. 14 meeting to continue contracting with a county department for assessing services.

“This a renewal with Oakland County. We’ve contracted with them for the past 10 or more years,” said Clerk Mary McDonell.

The Oakland County Equalization Division is to be responsible for conducting all the township’s annual assessments of real and personal property through the 2011, 2012, and 2013 tax years, according to the current contract.

The contract stipulates that Equalization Division personnel will be responsible for appraising all property, processing all real and personal property description changes in the township, preparing the assessment roll for real and personal property, as well as attending the March, July, and December Board of Review meetings.

The Equalization Division will also be available for consultation on all Michigan Tax Tribunal real and personal property and special assessment appeals. It will also assist Highland in the preparation of both the oral and written defense of appeals for as long as the current contract is in effect.

According to the contract, the township will pay the county the sum of $14.40 each year for each real property description and $13 each year for each personal property description for the length of the contract.

The agreement will take effect when both the Oakland County Board of Commissioners and Highland Township approve resolutions relative to the extended contract, which will now expire on June 30, 2013.