Omaha, NE—Diane Battiato, Douglas County Assessor/Register of Deeds, has hired Jack L. Baines as her new chief field deputy.  Battiato said that Baines will manage and coordinate all mass-appraisal activities for Douglas County, as well as guide and participate in the technical and statistical work of setting values.  Douglas County contains more than 215,000 parcels of land.

“Mass appraisal is the linchpin for what we do in the property-assessment world,” Battiato said.  “It is absolutely essential that mass appraisal be done correctly because the results are vitally important to the county and its residents.”

According to Battiato, Baines has more than 25 years’ experience in appraisal activities in Kansas.  Most recently, he was the deputy county appraiser for Wyandotte County, KS. 

Baines’ experience also includes extensive work with ad valorem taxation, linear-regression, ratio-analysis, and cost-analysis-and-valuation modeling.  Furthermore, he has worked for county and state government in related areas     “Jack brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our office that will make us even more efficient and customer-responsive,” Battiato said.  “He clearly will be an asset to us, and the county.  We look forward to having Jack as a member of our leadership team.”