Assessor, treasure shuffle deputies after county election

The Spokane County assessor’s and treasurer’s offices have new chief deputies as well as new elected department heads.

Treasurer Rob Chase planned to retain Chief Deputy Treasurer Bob Wrigley, but was forced to hire a new deputy last month when county commissioners selected Wrigley for a new countywide budget director position.

Based on Wrigley’s recommendation, Chase hired Mike Volz, who had been an accountant in the treasurer’s office for seven years before becoming assistant finance director for the Spokane Transit Authority four years ago.

Volz ran unsuccessfully against Auditor Vicky Dalton in the 2006 elections. Like Wrigley and Dalton, Volz is a certified public accountant.

In the assessor’s office, newly elected Vicki Horton dismissed Chief Deputy Assessor Kevin Best and replaced him with appraisal supervisor Byron Hodgson. Chief deputies serve at the pleasure of elected officials, and Best was closely associated with outgoing Assessor Ralph Baker.

Horton promoted Joe Hollenback, an appraiser and appeals analyst, to replace Hodgson.

The chief deputy assessor’s position pays $62,445 to $80,157 a year. Best was paid the maximum, but Hodgson was started at $76,252.

The pay range for chief deputy treasurer is $66,136 to $89,242, and Volz started at the maximum.

“It worked out pretty well for me because I’ve got Mike in here (in the treasurer’s office) and I’ve got Bob down the hall,” Chase said. “We still talk to him about a few things. It’s been a great transfer.”