19: Monica Williams — Assessing in 2023 and Beyond
In this episode, we're joined by Deputy Chief Assessment Officer Monica Williams from the Philadelphia Office of Property Assessment to talk about being a public servant in the assessment field:
We cover:
Introduction to Assessment Matters podcast 0:00
Monica’s bio 00:51
Falling into an “accidental career”
20 years in various assessment tracks
How has the assessment field evolved over the past two decades? 2:26
Inclusion of technology
More attention paid to what assessors do; discussions on transparency
Last few years of property markets 4:05
Explosively rising prices
Challenges explaining how this affects property assessment
What does transparency mean? How is it an industry challenge? 5:11
Internal vs External
Explaining what people are paying for
Explaining the difference between assessment and taxation
Big career lessons 7:56
Getting started by being willing to learn
Best practices in the Philadelphia Office of Property Assessment 9:02
Encouraging personal and career growth
Cultivating and picking talent
The future of Philadelphia 12:11
Contending with the fact that housing affordability can get worse for both renters and buyers
Possible solutions
Monica’s IAAO panel: “Assessing in 2023 and Beyond” 14:10
Workforce transition — aging assessors
Data and transparency — privacy concerns
Integration of technology and assessment — pros and cons
How has Philadelphia changed? What is “gentrification” and its implications? 18:06
The pros and cons of neighborhood improvement and change
“Gentrification” can be both good and bad
What should those in power do?
Educating people on the why and how of change and its impacts
Parting advice 19:42
How to reach Monica
