Time to Shine

Inside the Treasurer’s Office at Allen Park City Hall, something lovely has taken root.

Paperwork still stacks itself in neat little towers, envelopes still arrive by the hundreds and residents still approach the front counter with the familiar look of tax-season uncertainty, but now the office hums with a new warmth and rhythm.

Our story begins with Kristen Zotter, appointed deputy treasurer in September. Kristen earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Baker College, and graduated summa cum laude. Kristen has been with the city since 2022. She is married with two great children whom she is very proud of. Some say she walks with quiet confidence; others simply say she knows when people need reassurance and when numbers need discipline.

Kristen sees the city not as a collection of parcels and millage rates but as a community she serves – one resident at a time. She has a way of turning stacks of calculations into solutions, and transforming anxious tax questions into calm conversations.

In the office, she is the steady lighthouse guiding payments, timing deadlines and keeping the ship on course. She is truly my right (and sometimes left) hand.

Just a few months earlier, Nicole Hazzard joined the team. Nicole is married with two girls and came to Allen Park with a wealth of education and banking experience. She also loves hosting tea parties, and she loves fashion and home decorating.

Here in the office, Nicole is the person who prefers to chat about the Lions before sliding a check across the counter, and she brings patience with every smile and compassion with every receipt.

And then, as November leaves drifted down and holiday lights began appearing around City Hall, Erin Page arrived. Erin brought fresh enthusiasm, quick attention to detail and the kind of upbeat energy that makes even the busiest days feel brighter.

She embraced the rhythm quickly: ringing phones, walk-ins at the window and the sudden stampede of envelopes that always arrives five minutes before closing time.

Within two weeks she already knew which drawer held the good pens.

Together, the trio feels less like an office staff and more like a tiny command center – one part mathematics, one part community service and one part magic.

And of course we would be remiss not to mention Sadie, who is currently on maternity leave preparing to welcome a new little member to her family. She and her husband, Kyle, are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their baby, and while we do not yet know who the little one will take after, we know the entire Treasurer’s Office is cheering them on. We wish Sadie and Kyle every bit of luck, love and happiness as they begin this beautiful new chapter.

Now, there is one more change to this story, a structural one. While I am still your treasurer, now that this department has staff and a full-time deputy, I am no longer working long hours at the city. Instead, I am working part time as intended by city leadership, which made a change to the position after the previous treasurer’s retirement in 2023.

Most days I am working quietly behind the scenes due to a full-time position elsewhere, and I meet with residents on nights and weekends. However, the office is not without leadership.

When Kristen was officially appointed deputy treasurer at the same council meeting, the staff mentioned in this letter – Kristen, Nicole, Erin, and Sadie – became formally part of the Treasurer’s Office. They now report directly to me. Previously, they were Finance Department employees.

It is an adjustment that brings greater unity, clearer guidance and a fresh foundation for how this office serves the residents of Allen Park.

Of course, any good treasurer’s tale must speak about taxes. Tax bills were mailed December 1. All taxes – including late summer taxes – must be returned to the Treasurer’s Office by February 17. After that date a penalty will be added. Residents may still pay at City Hall until February 28, but beginning March 1 unpaid balances are transferred to the county for collection.

And just as winter melts into spring, another envelope will arrive. It’s not a bill, but a message from the assessor. The Notice of Assessment will include your State Equalized Value, the percentage of exemption as a Primary Residence, and whether the property was sold. This notice is informational only – it is not a bill.

If you disagree with the assessor’s valuation, please contact the Assessor’s Office to inquire about registering for the March Board of Review.

Through all of this…envelopes, deadlines, questions, and neighbors, the Treasurer’s Office stands ready. Kristen, Nicole, Erin, and Sadie (from afar), greet every day with professionalism, kindness and just a touch of whimsy. And even from behind the scenes, I am proud to see them shine