GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (September 6, 2023) – Kent County has hired Megan VanHoose as equalization director. VanHoose started in her new role on September 5. She is replacing Matt Woolford who retired in June of 2023 after 26 years of service.
"We are excited to welcome Megan to our team as we know her experience will be a great asset to our residents, businesses, and staff,” said Deputy County Administrator Mark Rambo. “We are confident she will work collaboratively with our local units of government and efficiently lead them through the many challenging facets of property assessment.”
Most recently, VanHoose was an assessor for Gaines Charter Township in Kent County and for Eureka Charter Township in Montcalm County. She certified the annual assessment and tax rolls for more than 8,500 parcels in Gaines Charter Township with an assessed value over $1.7 billion. VanHoose also supervised residential property valuation and administered aspects of property tax exemptions and abatements. In Eureka Charter Township, she certified the annual assessment and tax rolls for more than 2,200 parcels with an assessed value over $240 million.
In addition to her work experience, VanHoose currently serves as an Executive Board Member and the International Association of Assessing Officers Education Committee Chair for the Kent County Association of Assessing Officers.
“I am excited for this opportunity and I’m looking forward to working with the County’s excellent equalization team,” VanHoose said. “As an assessor, I have seen Kent County establish a culture that sits firmly in the top tier of equalization departments throughout the state.”
The Equalization Department handles assessments and evaluations of all commercial, private, and residential property for the purposes of county taxes. VanHoose will design and implement an accurate system of property tax valuations throughout Kent County. She will also develop programs to improve property valuation data and oversee the County’s re-monumentation program.
VanHoose holds a Bachelor of Science in Heath Care Systems Administration from Ferris State University. She is also a Certified Assessment Evaluator, Michigan Master Assessing Officer, and Certified Personal Property Examiner.
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About Kent County’s Equalization Department
The Kent County Equalization Department provides a property assessment and taxation system and mapping services for all cities and townships in Kent County. The department is comprised of two divisions - Appraisal Division and Property Description and Mapping Division. The Appraisal Division annually equalizes property values among twenty-one townships and nine cities while the Property Description and Mapping Division creates and maintains property tax maps for all parcels of land in Kent County.
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