The Keweenaw County Board recently hired Jaikob Djerf as the equalization director. Djerf, who is also the deputy ED at Houghton County, will work for Keweenaw County two days per week.

EAGLE RIVER — The Keweenaw County Board introduced Jaikob Djerf at the regular October meeting on Wednesday as the new equalization director. Djerf was hired at a special board meeting held on October 3, at which the motion to hire was made by Commissioner Randy Eckloff. The motion was supported by Commissioner Jim Vivian and was unanimously carried.

With the hiring of Djerf, the County hopes to have ended a string of recent hirings and replacements for the former director, Elizabeth Anderson, who resigned the position after 10 years. Following Anderson’s resignation the board then voted to appoint and train Mark Niemela as the new equalization director.

At an August 26 Special Board meeting, Tom Novascone was hired to the position. Navascone was to work with Niemela during his three-year training for the position. Navascone agreed to two days a week, but is retired and lives in Bessemer. Navascone resigned shortly after being hired because the 260-mile round trip twice a week was too much to contend with, he said.

On the heels of Navascone’s resignation, at the regular September 2022 board meeting, Board President, Don Piche, read Niemela’s resignation letter as maintenance and building codes clerk, a position he had accepted in September 2021. Niemela’s resignation was accepted at last month’s regular meeting.

Djerf, who is the deputy equalization director for Houghton County, will fill the Keweenaw County post two days per week, Wednesdays and Saturdays, and will oversee all aspects of county equalization and will train the new equalization assistant, who, Piche announced at Wednesday’s regular monthly meeting, is Missy Meneguzzo.

Upon completion of a three year required training Meneguzzo will be certified as a Michigan Advanced Assessing Officer (MAAO).

The state of Michigan has three levels of certified assessing officers who may act as the assessor for a local unit (ex. township or city) or the Equalization Director for a County.

When Anderson submitted her resignation letter in August, she cautioned the board that it would need to equip Niemela with “all the tools that he needs,” because even the classes he will take will not prepare him for the position of Equalization Director.

“They barely train you to be an assessor,” she said. “The state doesn’t even train you to use the software that they use. So, give Mark the tools and I think he will do a great job.”

The Equalization Department also assists in maintaining names and addresses of property owners in the county, following property transfers, maintaining parcel maps, assisting the general public with questions concerning property and values. The office also assists the townships with laws and procedures in the assessment function.

While Djerf is trained for the position, Meneguzzo will need the three years’ training, plus the extra assistance of Djerf, to become prepared for the position.