Photo by Janelle Patterson Washington County Auditor Bill McFarland will retire Thursday after 38 years of public service.

MARIETTA — Looking back at 38 years of public service, Washington County Auditor Bill McFarland said he hopes he has left a legacy of treating all people with courtesy and respect.

“Since the day I walked in here I’ve repeated those two words often with every employee and deputy auditor I’ve sworn in,” he said from his Washington County Courthouse office Friday.

McFarland, 62, will pass on the baton to Auditor-Elect Matthew Livengood at the close of February, confident in the capabilities of his successor and the tools with which he has empowered his staff.

One of the most important lessons he’s learned working with McFarland, said Livengood, is a nod to the straightforward approach for which McFarland has a reputation.

“Know why you do what you are doing,” explained Livengood. “Understand the methodology or reasoning behind an action. Don’t ever do something just because that’s the way it’s always been done.”

McFarland is concluding 16 years as the county auditor, preceded by service to Marietta as the assistant safety-service director under three mayors of both major parties, and as a community development specialist before that–a cumulative 22 years of appointed service before being elected into office.

“I can honestly say that each day I’ve been here I’ve been proud of the work my team produces… operationally for the last couple decades the pace has exponentially changed,” said McFarland.

He cited five significant shifts in how his office has evolved through his tenure–bringing the office’s county fiscal oversight and real estate appraisal oversight into the digital age.

“When I first started we still had the green bar sheets and could only account for how the last month’s numbers compared to the budget,” he said. “So starting off we needed new financial software so we could run more immediate reports.”

Then for the appraisal of all land in the county and their buildings, he brought on a new computer-assisted mass appraisal system.

“We got notice that the business partner we were using was dropping their CAMA system and so I did the research to find what were the exact tools we needed and what was available,” he explained. “The new system saved more than $400,000 a year in taxpayer money.”

McFarland also installed the use of a website for the auditor’s office, allowing citizens and businesses to search by address, parcel number or owner each piece of property within the county–utilizing geographic information system mapping software.

“And now we’re bringing on two final tools before I leave,” McFarland, said with a smile. “One is a data collection tool to feed our assessment of parcels–up until 2018 whenever Washington County wanted to go into the field and look at mass parcels to change or add anything, they’d first have to print out large maps at the tax office. Now we can send them out with tablets that can be drawn right onto that GIS map.”

The final piece of technology eliminates more of the data input and paper records of property conveyance, he said.

“Talk about a labor saver,” he said. “Washington County I’m proud to say was selected and is at the forefront of that effort to begin electronic filing between the county and eventually up to the state level. That was announced this week by the County Auditor’s Association of Ohio.”

McFarland said he’s also particularly proud of how the office’s duties have become more streamlined over the last 16 years.

“When I took office we had 18 employees, and at first you try to observe and look for places where you can gain efficiency,” he explained. “In 2018, I operated this office with less money than the budget I had in 2003. I’m proud to have been able to do that and save the taxpayers money but also invest in the technology, cross-training and added skillsets to build an effective office.”

He was quick to praise the work of his five deputy auditors who have the most face time with the public through deed conveyances, providing dog tags, homestead exemptions manufactured home conversions, property splits and other services.

McFarland also praised the two staff in the appraisal division, three staff in the county fiscal office who process payroll for more than 600 county employees and handle more than $120 million in transactions for the county each year, two staff in the tax map office and a part-time weights and measures specialist.

“I’d stack the work of those three people in the county fiscal office up against anyone, the quantity and the quality of the work they do, there’s nobody I know that is on par with them at all,” said McFarland. “Then in the tax map office I have my senior draftsman and my GIS specialist, and I have my weights and measures person at 28 hours per week.”

Another lesson Livengood is taking away from mentorship by McFarland is in how people are treated, he said.

“Get to know the people you interact with. Your employees, of course, but also township trustees and fiscal officers, school treasurers, and others that you have contact with on a regular basis,” explained Livengood. “Take it beyond just knowing their names, but also knowing a little about their lives.”

McFarland said he has worked to ensure the trust of the public by staying out of political party central and executive committees, showing a transparent process for budgets of the county and training his staff in communication.

“There are three ways we communicate, with our posture, tone and words,” he explained. “What’s rewarding is knowing how the office is perceived, that even when a constituent doesn’t agree with our assessment, they can leave here with a handshake and knowing they’ve been respected.”

McFarland said he’s not sure what’s next after retiring from public service, outside of spending more time with his three children and wife Mary Ann for now.

The public is invited to a retirement reception in his honor between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Thursday at the Washington County Courthouse.

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A Glance at Bill McFarland

* Age: 62

Public Service

* 16 years as Washington County Auditor

* 22 years for Marietta City as Assistant Safety-Service Director and Community Development Specialist

Family

* Wife: Mary Ann McFarland

* Children: Janice McFarland, 30, of Marietta, Brian McFarland, 26, of Marietta, Bethany McFarland, 26, of Columbus.

Recognition

* A public retirement reception will be held in McFarland’s honor between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Thursday at the Washington County Courthouse

Source: Washington County Auditor Bill McFarland

and Auditor-Elect Matthew Livengood