A blank check makes no sense

Never sign a blank check.
That’s pretty basic advice.
But the Jay County Commissioners didn’t follow it this week.
The commissioners, at the recommendation of county assessor Diana Stults, signed up for a contract with a reassessment firm that has no cap. There’s a base rate and a per diem for work beyond the base rate. But there’s no limit on what the final bill might be. There are also no triggers for review of the contract if the charges get out of hand.
Commissioners rejected a bid from a competing company, a bid that had a higher base amount but included a cap — a ceiling — on what the county would pay.
And that’s where the logic gets a little hard to follow.
Appraisal Research Corporation submitted a bid of $127,450, with a charge of $350 a day for unlimited days beyond the basic work.
Property Assessment Solutions submitted a capped bid of $247,000 for work over the four-year period during which the job is expected to take place.
Since past reassessments have cost the county as much as $400,000 over four years in the past, the capped bid appeared to make the most sense. But, at the same time, no one knows going in how much work the new reassessment will require.
Could the Appraisal Research Corporation total cost come in below the $247,000 bid of Property Assessment Solutions? Maybe. Maybe not.
But by signing onto an open-ended contract, the commissioners answered the question with little more than a lazy shrug of the shoulders.
A smarter approach — since questions had been raised about the specifications provided — would have been to re-bid the entire contract, requiring a cap and/or setting triggers for review during the term of the contract.
As it is, the commissioners have signed a blank check. And there is no way that makes sense to Jay County taxpayers. — J.R.[[In-content Ad]]