By Susan Bromley
Staff Writer
Brandon Twp.-After 19 years of serving Brandon Township, Landmark Appraisal Company has decided not to renew their contract, which ended in November. The decision has left the township in a lurch, said Ron Lapp, township supervisor.
The township has contracted with Oakland County to do the assessing from Nov. 20 through the March Board of Review at a cost of $20,000, two-thirds of the yearly budget. Landmark charged the township roughly $30,000 for an entire year, says Lapp.
‘We are disappointed that Landmark has chosen not to renew,? Lapp said. ‘They did a fantastic job the last 19 years.? He added that the board will be seeking bids for a new appraisal company after the first of the year. If the township were to retain Oakland County for property assessments, it would cost approximately $90,000 per year.
‘The county does a good job, but we want to make sure we’re going to get the best deal for the taxpayers,? Lapp said.
Doug Powers, a general partner in Landmark, began property tax assessments and appraisals in Brandon in 1985.
‘We decided not to renew because we are cutting back our workload,? Powers explained. ‘Brandon Township just happened to be the first contract that came up.?
There are approximately 6,000 parcels of land in Brandon Township. A complete township reassessment is performed every six to ten years, with the last one done in 2001-2002. In between, assessments are done for new buildings, add-ons, etc. Lapp said there are currently 300 of those needing to be done.
Landmark, located at G-3247 Beecher Road in Flint, was begun as PLT Appraisals in 1984. They currently serve about 10 other communities, including Flint Township, Saginaw County and Huron County.