Pennsylvania County Saves through Privatization.

• Position: Venango County - Brief Article

By switching to a private appraisal firm to implement their property tax assessment system, Venango County, Pennsylvania, estimates that it will save up to $1 million--a cost savings of 33 percent. In January 1998, the county signed a five-year contract with a private firm. The contract allows the firm to take up "all maintenance of the existing assessment structure," which includes digitizing all records, automating the assessment process, and relisting all properties, and it also gives the firm the option to conduct a revaluation. Besides the cost savings, another admirable aspect of the plan was that...