By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com

A local township has scored a perfect auditing score for the assessing of properties.

The Michigan Department of Treasury on Monday announced that Hartland Township Assessing Department has received a perfect score in the recent Audit of Minimum Assessing Requirements (AMAR). Five years ago the state implemented this new evaluation process for local government assessments in an effort to ensure consistency across Michigan. Cities and townships get audited every 5 years based on AMAR guidelines. The audit measures several factors, including whether assessing records match the physical description of the property. The alignment of the township’s records to these descriptions is critical in accurately assessing the value of properties for tax purposes, according to a release.

In 2015, Hartland Township was one of only three municipalities in the state to get a perfect score, and now they have repeated that feat.

Township Manager Bob West said to get the perfect score once was a triumph, and to achieve it again is a true feat that instills confidence in their Assessing Department.

Hartland Assessor Jim Healsip gave a lot of the credit to residents. He said that year after year they allow the department to visit their properties to ensure they are being assessed correctly. Without their cooperation, Healsip said they wouldn’t have the records and measurements needed to ensure their properties are accurately valued.