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Sole Appointed Assessor: Appointment and certification information

Certification and qualifications

Term of Office for Sole Appointed Assessors is six years.

Sole Appointed Assessor appointments, as prescribed in the Real Property Tax Law ( RPTL) §310 shall be for a six-year term of office. The term of office began on October 1, 2019 and ends September 30, 2025.

Appointed assessors are required to meet minimum qualification standards prior to appointment.

Applicants must meet minimum qualification standards as set forth in the 20 NYCRR 8188, § 8188-2.2. The Application for Qualifications Review (RP-3006) must be reviewed and approved by Educational Services before municipalities appoint assessors to office.

Town Supervisors and City Mayors can make a request for a minimum qualifications review.

After verifying the information on the qualifications form, Town Supervisors and City Mayors or local civil service personnel may request a minimum qualifications review by submitting a completed qualifications form (RP-3006) to Educational Services along with a cover letter. Educational Services will review the application, make a determination and notify the municipality about the result. Applicants must meet the minimum qualification standards set forth in 20 NYCRR 8188 before appointment to the office of assessor.

Training is required for appointed assessors.

The Orientation seminar is required to be completed as soon as it is practical. Orientation is designed to provide assessors general understanding of their responsibilities and the appropriate state and local government structure. This seminar is provided by the County Director of Real Property Tax Services.

In addition, the basic course of training as set forth in 20 NYCRR 8188 (§8188-2.6) is required for all assessors within three years of beginning a term of office. The Real Property Tax Law requires that an uncertified assessor show progress toward permanent certification by completing courses during each year of service. This is referred to as interim certification.

After certification, assessors must participate in a continuing education program by successfully completing an average of 12 continuing education credits every year. In addition, completion of an approved Ethics component is required no more than one year prior to or one year after reappointment to office.

A State certified assessor who is appointed in an assessing unit meeting the criteria in §8188-2.6(6) must, within a year of taking office, satisfy the introduction to farm appraisal component.

Interim certification is required 20 NYCRR 8188 (§8188-2.7)

The Real Property Tax Law requires that an uncertified assessor show progress toward permanent certification by completing courses during each year of service. An uncertified assessor must complete:

  • Orientation, Ethics and Fundamentals of Assessment Administration by the end of the first year in a term of office. If Fundamentals of Assessment Administration was completed prior to beginning a term of office, another component must be completed, and
  • Cost, Market and Income Approach to Value by the end of a second year in a term of office.

As a result of an assessor's successful participation in training to achieve assessor certification, he or she will be issued an Interim Certificate after each year in office. The Interim Certificate remains in effect while the assessor continues to make appropriate progress toward certification. However, it will not remain in effect past the date that certification is required.

There are consequences when assessors do not complete required training on time.

As specified in the Real Property Tax Law (§322), assessors who fail to satisfy their training requirements are subject to noncompliance proceedings and removal from office.

Contact information

Town Supervisors and City Mayors: After verifying the information on the application, please send a cover letter requesting a qualifications review along with one application and supporting documentation to:

NYS TAX DEPARTMENT
OFFICE OF REAL PROPERTY TAX SERVICES
EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
W A HARRIMAN CAMPUS
ALBANY, NY 12227-0801
Phone: 518-474-1764
Fax: 518-435-8628
Educational Services

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