Waterville stays in-house to land tax commissioner

7/5/2002

Waterville has selected a new tax commissioner, but a municipal administrator hasn't been hired yet.

Jennifer Valentine, water-billing clerk for the village for the last 21/2 years, recently began her duties as the new commissioner of taxation.

She replaces Angela Kuhn who left the office in April to become tax commissioner in Sylvania. Mrs. Kuhn had been tax commissioner in Waterville for about 13 years.

Mrs. Valentine, a 1978 graduate of Springfield High School, holds an associate degree from the University of Toledo Community and Technical College.

Chuck Peyton, acting municipal administrator, said that he was pleased that the position was filled with a promotion from within the current staff.

Mrs. Valentine will begin her new job full time after a new water-billing clerk is hired. Right now, she is dividing her time between the two jobs.

“I like working for the village,” she said, noting that she was attracted to Waterville because she likes the “idea of working for a small community. The staff, everybody who works here, takes pride in what they do.”

The new tax commissioner, who lives in Whitehouse, also is hoping for voter renewal this fall of the 0.5-percent income tax. If approved by voters, the community's income tax rate would remain at the current level of 2 percent through December, 2007.

Waterville has a permanent 1.5-percent income tax and an additional 0.5-percent tax that is voted on every five years. Revenue from the income tax is used for general village operations and capital improvements.

Meantime, council members continue to meet in executive, closed-door sessions to talk about hiring someone to replace Thomas Mattis, municipal administrator since 1991, who left in January to become the first full-time city manager in Kyle, Texas.

A search committee was formed to find a replacement. Mr. Peyton was hired as the acting administrator Jan. 14. The village charter states that no acting or temporary administrator shall serve for more than 120 days, but Mr. Peyton said there isn't a problem because the time period can be extended.