RIDGWAY – The Elk County Commissioners are continuing their
cost-saving efforts by combining the county’s tax claim and
assessment offices.

Tax Claim Director Linda Heglen recently retired after more than
20 years of service and the commissioners felt it was the perfect
opportunity to merge the two offices.

“The assessment office actually assesses properties and puts
values on the properties for our taxes,” Elk County Commissioner
June Sorg said. “If you don’t pay your taxes, then you go to the
Tax Claim Office and they have a number of different sales.”

The savings from the consolidation will be between ,45,000 and
,50,000 by eliminating the department head position.

“It is important to know that because whenever Tax Claim is
going to do their job of finding a delinquent payment and doing
something about it, they always have to go to the Assessment Office
and get the records, property and everything and it didn’t make
sense really in terms of efficiency to have them separated like
that,” Elk County Commissioner Dan Freeburg said.

There will be a better flow of information by merging the two
offices. Another positive impact will be helping the public by
providing more resources in one location.

“The offices were actually together years ago, but then the tax
claim office went to the treasurer’s office and then it was
established by itself,” said Sorg.

“The offices probably should have stayed together,” added
Freeburg. “We don’t get too many opportunities to change or
streamline or downsize government because of the times that we’re
in and the pressures from state and local governments. We almost
have to expand most offices.

“It’s one of the things we’ve always agreed on that if we can,
we will cut spending and make efficient use of our staff as much as
possible. We’re eliminating a whole department head position.”

The tax claim office has now been relocated into the tax
assessment office on the first floor of the main courthouse. John
Samick will be the head of the department.

“We have a good staff everywhere, but we sure don’t believe in
having more than we need,” Freeburg added.