Hadley’s longtime assessor set to retire after 38-year career

Hadley  04-19-2023

Hadley 04-19-2023

By SCOTT MERZBACH

Staff Writer

Published: 10-03-2024 11:32 AM

HADLEY — A 38-year career as a municipal assessor will come to a close in January for Daniel H. Zdonek Jr., who has been Hadley’s assessor since July 1990.

The Easthampton resident who worked for the city for four years prior to coming to Hadley recently announced his retirement. The Select Board Wednesday began discussing a transition in the office that will also include the retirement of Janice Kangas, the assessors assistant, whose own tenure in town government has also extended over a 38-year period.

In a joint meeting with the Board of Assessors, Zdonek, whose last day as principal assessor is Jan. 17, said the hope is to have six weeks of overlap with his successor.

Zdonek said he believes the town will find a qualified applicant following a conversation with interim Town Administrator Michael Mason.

“I’m optimistic, and I think he’s optimistic and the board is optimistic, that we’ll be able to find somebody within the next eight to 10 weeks, probably by mid-December,” Zdonek said.

Assessors Chairman Jeffrey Mish said the board could look for someone with less experience who may need some on-the-job training, or possibly recruit from a field of retirees interested in the role on a temporary basis.

Zdonek said he anticipates there could be someone interested who is trained and is working in the private sector an appraiser, real estate agent or similar occupation.

The position will be advertised in the Gazette as well as through regional professional assessor associations.

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Zdonek used the joint meeting to provide an update on the work being done in his office, including appealing the equalized values that came out from the Department of Revenue in June. In those equalized values, which are an estimate of the full and fair cash value of all property in town, Zdonek said the town’s new growth had been underestimated, projected by the state at $11 million, when in reality it was just over $23 million.

That appeal led to the new growth estimate being bumped up, which he said will mean increased state aid to Hadley in the coming years. Zdonek explained state officials hadn’t factored in the nearly completed self-storage facility on South Maple Street and the new hotel rising on Route 9.

Assessors also released $70,000 from the overlay account, money that will boost the town’s free cash. The overlay account, used to pay abatements to property owners, also spends about $30,000 a year to cover property tax exemptions and the senior tax work off program. That account has gotten up to more than $220,000, a sufficient cushion in case of an appeal by a large commercial property owner and a sizable abatement.

The department is working on assessments, which will probably go above a 3% increase for single-family homes and be stable for commercial properties. But Zdonek said he doesn’t anticipate a significant jump in how much people are paying in property taxes.

In other staffing changes, the Select Board agreed to have Dede Debrindisi, the town’s building permit coordinator, become the full-time assistant town treasurer, contingent on an increase in spending being brought to voters at Town Meeting on Nov. 14. Debrindisi is already working in the treasurer’s office on a part-time basis.

“She’s just doing a terrific job, and I think it’s an asset to Hadley, and I think it’s really important we continue,” said Treasurer Linda Sanderson.

The warrant for the fall Town Meeting will include additional funding for a half-time position so a person can be hired to take on the building permit coordinator job.

The Select Board also appointed new human resources director Lauren Wilcox, who will begin in the position on Oct. 21.

Wilcox, who said her family is from the Chesterfield and Goshen area, has been director of human resources at East Windsor, Connecticut schools.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.