Reflecting on how far we’ve come

Sitting at my desk in quiet reflection over the last 3 years, I find myself asking, where are we now? How far have we come?

Due to my days in the Prosecuting Attorney’s office, I began journaling from Day 1 in this office. I have many notebooks full of daily scribbles from my 928 days here in the Treasurers Office. I began to start reading. As I read each passing day, I realized how truly far we have come in this office.

We work with, on average, $17 million a day. We are balancing with the Auditor. Everyone is paying taxes that should be paying taxes. We have earned more interest/income for the county in our two and a half years than the last 10 years combined. We earn enough money to run our office at no cost to the county now.

We have established more ways to pay for the taxpayers. We are working towards making it even easier for the taxpayers and searchers to review records and make payments. Our office makes sure that the State Board of Accounts Internal Controls and reconciliation requirements are met on a daily and monthly basis. This wasn’t always completed in prior years. It took some time to get all their requirements in place and to make an effective workflow, but it is complete now.

We created emergency procedures for the office so that we can keep the office open in the event of a natural disaster or other emergencies, such as active shooter. We practice these drills as it's my job to keep my staff safe. It is a responsibility in which I take very seriously.

We have collected and dispersed nonperishable goods to the Veterans Hospital and to the Bloomfield Police Department for their annual holiday giving of goods to the community.

I took on the role of Legislative Co-Chair in 2018 for the Indiana County Treasurer’s Association to work from a higher platform for the citizens of Greene County. Just recently, I was reappointed to that position for 2019. It is important to give our community every opportunity to excel as we work towards a better tomorrow.

Know that we will continue to work just as hard for the remaining 532 days in office. We are always here for the community. We know we are not the most popular office to visit, as no one likes to pay taxes, but know that we try to make the experience the best that it can be!

We hope to see you Sept. 19, 2019 at 1 p.m. for our annual tax sale. It is in the Commissioners Room on the 3rd floor of the courthouse. A complete list of our properties is located on their site at sriservices.com.

Nicole Stahl is the Greene County Treasurer. She can be contacted at Nicole.Cox@co.greene.in.us.