A change in tax appraisal services is expected to save LincolnCounty several hundred thousand dollars, officials said Monday.

Supervisors voted to hire appraiser Leon Perry full-timebeginning June 1. Tax Assessor-Collector Nancy Jordan said pastyears’ appraisal services had been bid out, with Perry doing thework in recent years.

Perry will be paid $75,000 a year, and his office will remainacross the street from the government complex in the Kees building,county officials said.

Figures Jordan cited showed that costs for mapping, appraisaland related work topped $100,000 in some years for the annualservices. In addition, a required update every four years costabout $180,000.

Jordan said Perry will be able to handle all those services aswell as some personal property appraisal work.

“He will be doing the (property appraisal) maintenance everyyear and the update, but there won’t be an additional fee,” Jordansaid.

Jordan said some aspects of appraisal work, such a flyingservices for this year’s required 10-year map update, will stillhave to be bid. Perry, though, will be instrumental in preparingdata as the county switches to a Global Information System in thefuture, Jordan said.

Jordan said there are few in the state qualified to do theappraisal services. She was pleased to be able to have Perry onboard with the county.

“I’ve tried for this ever since I’ve been in office,” Jordansaid.