Hullihen tabbed as interim tax assessor-collector

Steve HullihenA new, yet familiar face has filled the position of tax assessor-collector, following retirement of Leslie Jones Burks from the role.

Steve Hullihen returns to help in a similar capacity, formerly employed in IT for the county.   

“Bob Willis hired me in 1984 to come work in the tax office, because the county bought a new computer system,” Hullihen explained of his first stint. “The county bought a computer system from IBM, and IBM told them it would do everything. He said that he needed somebody to run the computers. I graduated Ohio State in the summer of ’80, and I had a business degree applied to forestry. I was working for Champion in Corrigan right out of school.”

His first office was in the same building — the Polk County Tax Office on North Washington Avenue.

“The computer was sitting upstairs here,” Hullihen said. “It is not here anymore, but there was one computer here and we ran cables all through town and they were hanging off the poles and everything. The appraisal district was on the other side where the new Judicial Center is. The appraisal district and the tax office were on the same computer, so it was really handy and we didn’t have to send files back and forth. We had one set of databases and they appraised and updated it and we collected and updated it. It was a really good deal for the county and the appraisal district back then that saved taxpayers money.”

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Hullihen remained until his retirement in 2015 after 31 years with the county. The experience, he said, was a happy one. Burks was employed when Hullihen left, along with three or four others that are still with Polk County.

While he’s not back for the computers, Hullihen said he volunteered for the position because the county has always been like family.

“They asked for a short list of people who could be semi-qualified and have a basis to come work in here. I have to go to training and there are two classes I have to take within the first 90 days. Then, I have to complete so many continuing education hours in the first year just to be interim. It’s a commitment.”

He will serve until a new tax assessor-collector is elected. That could occur in March of 2024, November of that year, or January 2025 at the latest.

“I am trying to keep track of what I’m doing, because there is going to be someone new coming in behind me and I want to be able to give them a list of what to do when they come in. That way it won’t be quite so overwhelming for them. I am here for the county, because it is a service to the community. I am trying to save the county some money too, so I am not trying to re-invent the wheel, but I’d like to make the transition for the next tax assessor-collector as easy as I can. I want to give them all the information they need to hit the ground running and do a good job for the people.”