Assessment Technician

Assessment Technician

Dept/Div: County Assessor FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

General Definition of Work

Performs intermediate skilled administrative work supporting department staff and technical work entering and maintaining data, answering, and directing incoming inquiries related to assessment values, taxes, homestead classification status, special programs and tax laws, and related work as apparent or assigned. Work is performed under the supervision of the Assistant County Assessor and County Assessor.

Qualification Requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable an individual with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The below listed statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individual assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required of personnel so classified.

Essential Functions

Enters assessment data into the tax system and the computer aided mass appraisal database system.

Performs phone and counter work; answers and responds to incoming calls; assists the public in filling out various forms; locates and checks out files for supervisors and public request; responds to inquiries regarding assessment laws, procedures, and property programs.

Seeks uniformity in real estate procedures by working with both internal and external County staff and department.

Develops and maintains a working knowledge of assessment support programs. Works with internal and external County departments utilizing these programs.

Performs data entry work associated with the annual assessment using the department assessing software including preparation of all abstracts, social security homestead files.

Processes equalization notices, real estate transfers, certificates of real estate value, local board of review changes, and state board of equalization changes.

Prepares and coordinates large scale mailings such as equalization notices and special program applications.

Generates various electronic and manual assessment reports from the tax system; generates bills and collects payment for reports.

Analyzes computer printouts for errors; determines processing required and takes necessary action to correct records.

Reviews assessment records for completeness and accuracy in regard to coding, linking and the taxable market value to ensure the correct calculation of tax capacity values.

Reviews statutes and laws to stay current on tax law and regulation knowledge.

Participates in testing of new assessment programs; assists with training on new software.

Attends continuing education, department and other meetings as required for department operation.

Approves and signs off on all homestead applications.

Conversational Spanish speaking for client services, if able.

Performs the physical and mental demands of the position.

Attends work during regularly scheduled hours.

Other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Thorough knowledge of homestead and classification laws and procedures; thorough knowledge of local, state, and federal statutes and laws pertaining to assessment and taxes; thorough knowledge of manuals, guides and standards related to real estate assessment and taxes; thorough knowledge of GIS maps; thorough knowledge of special program documentation; general knowledge of pictometry maps; thorough skill completing mail merge and large-scale mailings; comprehensive skill working with standard office equipment and related hardware and software; comprehensive skill operating standard tax database systems; thorough skill operating standard GIS and mapping software; thorough skill operating standard accounting software; thorough skill working within and explaining special program applications; thorough skill creating data reports and records upon request; ability to make arithmetic computations using whole numbers, fractions and decimals; ability to compute rates, ratios and percentages; ability to understand and apply governmental accounting practices in maintenance of financial records; ability to follow documented operational procedures; ability to establish and maintain electronic and paper filing systems; ability to be tactful and adept in dealing with a wide variety of people; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with taxpayers, staff, realtors, region representatives, vendors, city officials, business owners, and the general public.

Education and Experience

High school diploma and moderate experience working in a clerical support role, working with real estate or assessment, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Associates degree in related field preferred.

Physical Requirements

This work requires occasional exertion of up to 10 pounds of force; work regularly requires sitting, speaking or hearing, using hands to finger, handle or feel and repetitive motions and occasionally requires standing and walking; work has standard vision requirements; vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels; work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data, operating machines and observing general surroundings and activities; work has no exposure to environmental conditions; work is generally in a moderately noisy location (e.g. business office, light traffic).

Special Requirements

Certified Assessment Technician within two (2) years.

Ability to maintain certification through continuing education.

Driver's license valid to drive in the State of Minnesota.

Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish preferred.

Other Requirements

The incumbent may encounter not public data in the course of these duties. Any access to not public data should be strictly limited to accessing the data that are necessary to fulfill the employment responsibility. While data are being accessed, incumbent should take reasonable measures to ensure the not public data are not accessed by individuals without a work reason. Once the work reason to access the data is reasonably finished, incumbent must properly store the not public data according to the provisions Ch. 13. If a new work assignment requires access to not public data, the incumbent is permitted to access not public data for the work assignment purposes only. Any access to not public data must be strictly limited to the data necessary to complete the work assignment and after the assignment is completed, the employee's work assignment no longer requires access.

Salary/Benefits : Salary range is $29.00 - $40.99 per hour plus health insurance, life insurance, retirement plan, vacation/sick/holiday pay and many other voluntary benefits.