Alley wants to increase property assessor work week, build website

Johnny Alley

New Anderson County Property Assessor Johnny Alley said he wants to increase the number of hours his employees work each week, cross-train employees, and build a website that could help answer public questions.

A Republican, Alley has been a real estate agent for more than eight years and an Anderson County commissioner for about 2.5 years. He defeated Democrat Rick Marlowe in the Aug. 2 county election.

He took office Sept. 1.

During an interview last week, Alley said he was interviewing current office employees—they had to re-apply for their jobs—and planned to increase the work week to 40 hours. It’s now 35 hours, with a one-hour paid lunch.

He said he also wants to cross-train employees and encourage them to take continuing education classes. The employees have an average of 18 years experience, he said.

Alley, who has a bachelor’s degree in business and organizational management, said property assessments have been an issue in Anderson County, just as they have been in Roane County. He said assessments went up by more than 20 percent in Anderson County in the 2010 reappraisal.

Alley said his office has eight employees, including him, and had $368,000 in expenditures last year.

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evilpops

Its not clear to me, if they are required to work an additional five hours or are they just getting paid for their lunch hour? Either way as a taxpayer i think its a waste of our funds to pay some one for lunch break.
- http://www.facebook.com/johnhuotari John Huotari
  
  Sorry I wasn’t clear. I rewrote that paragraph a bit. It now says Alley “planned to increase the work week to 40 hours. It’s now 35 hours, with a one-hour paid lunch.”
  
  I assume Johnny meant a one-hour paid lunch each day, but I’ll have to double-check.
evilpops

I guess i have to contact John Alley to find out the reason they receive payment for lunch hour.
- http://www.facebook.com/johnhuotari John Huotari
  
  I believe he was saying they received a one-hour paid lunch before he became property assessor. I don’t think he intends to continue that, if that was the case.
Abbey

The website idea sounds great and I look forward to that improvement. WIth gas prices so high these days, and free-time at a premium, I have become a huge fan of the ability to communicate and address government issues online. Also, it sounds like employees actually only “worked” 30 hours a week but were paid for 35 hours and received the benefits of “full-time” employment. As a taxpayer that offends me.