Elkhart County officials say the resignation of Concord Township Assessor Christopher Dickinson has opened the door to significant budget savings and a restructuring of how assessment work is handled.
Dickinson resigned effective Dec. 15. His departure follows controversies that included the discovery of a major commercial property value reporting error and a misuse-of-government-property case tied to the 2023 election.
County Commissioner Brad Rogers told the Elkhart County Council that the vacancy allows the county to temporarily shift assessment duties away from the township office and rely more heavily on county staff.
“The commissioners coordinated with the county assessor to see if intergovernmental cooperation could achieve greater efficiencies and cost savings,” Rogers said. “That cooperation is in place and ready to move forward.”
As part of the transition, county leaders approved a reduction in the assessor’s salary from more than $73,000 to about $35,500, with a corresponding adjustment to the deputy assessor’s pay. The change would take effect in 2026.
Rogers said the larger savings could come from shrinking the Concord Township Assessor’s Office budget altogether.
“This would allow for approximately $300,000 in savings and it would include a reduction in force at the Concord Township Assessor office,” he said.
County Council members asked that the proposed budget reduction be placed on the agenda for a formal vote at a January meeting.
