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Madison Mayor Paul Soglin announced today that Michelle Drea has been hired as Madison’s Assessor. She has been serving as interim Assessor since Mark Hanson retired from the position in June.

Drea is an attorney with expertise in property assessment. Most recently, she was with the Department of Revenue as the Wisconsin Property Assessment Manual and Guides Editor. This position lead to experience with property assessment in Wisconsin including an expertise in Boards of Review, assessment standards and law, and property tax exemptions.

As the City Assessor, she will be responsible for the fair and equitable assessments of all taxable real and personal property while maintaining complete and accurate assessment rolls and property records. In 2018, the preliminary equalized property value for Madison is $28,782 billion.

"Michelle’s work in assessment and law, coupled with her outgoing personality is a great fit for her position," said Mayor Soglin. She and her staff are often dealing with residents not exactly excited by the news her office delivers. I know she will continue to manage the relationships with the public in a straightforward yet compassionate manner while dealing with factual information."

She has previously worked as a supervisor in the prosecution unit for the City of Denver; casebook author, editor, and lecturer for West and Thomson Reuters; and as an attorney for a small business. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of Minnesota and a law degree from Hamline University School of Law.

Mayor Soglin will be presenting Drea’s contract to the Madison Common Council at a future meeting.

Contacts

  • Katie Crawley, 60-266-4611