Appraiser - I

Introduction

Placer County is comprised of over 1,400 square miles of beautiful and diverse geography, ranging from the residential and commercial areas of South Placer, through the historic foothill areas of Auburn, Foresthill, and Colfax, and to the County's jewel of the North Lake Tahoe basin. Placer is a great place to live, work, play, and learn! For more information about Placer County, please visit www.placer.ca.gov.

POSITION INFORMATION

The eligible list established as a result of this recruitment will be used to fill current and future vacancies in the Assessor's Office as they arise, subject to position-specific requirements.

BENEFITS

Placer County offers a comprehensive benefits package to employees. The following information represents benefits currently available to permanent Placer County employees and may be subject to change. Applicants should inquire as to the most current benefit package during hiring interviews or by contacting the Human Resources Department.

Click here to view Placer Public Employees Organization (PPEO) benefits.

For more information regarding the benefits Placer County has to offer, please visit Placer County's Human Resources website.

DEFINITION

To properly value taxable properties within Placer County, using various appraisal methods; to establish values for new construction and property transfers; to obtain and analyze data for the appraisal of real property for ad valorem tax purposes; and to make field investigations, studies, and appraisals.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

This is the entry level class in the Appraiser series. This class is distinguished from the Appraiser II level by the performance of the more routine and less complex tasks and duties assigned to positions within this series. Since this class is typically used as a training class, employees may have only limited or no directly related work experience. Employees at this level are not expected to perform with the same independence of direction and judgment on matters allocated to the journey level. Employees work under general supervision while expanding their experience and learning more complex job tasks.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Receives general supervision from assigned management, professional or supervisory staff.

May exercise technical and functional supervision over assigned clerical and technical staff.

EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Analyze for ad valorem purposes residential, commercial, and agricultural properties splits and transfers and determine appropriate value.
  
• Conduct field investigations and analyze data to arrive at the assessed value of real property.
  
• Inspect, measure, and classify structures to determine value; inspect land and improvement changes to determine effect on value.
  
• Analyze and estimate replacement cost, obsolescence, construction cost, resale value and analyze other pertinent factors needed to establish appraised values.
  
• Establish taxable values for newly constructed real property and properties which have had a change in ownership.
  
• Establish taxable value for construction in progress, identifying percentage of construction complete.
  
• Prepare verbal and written reports and make recommendations based on field investigations.
  
• Communicate with property owners through public counter assistance, correspondence, meetings, and telephone discussions regarding the valuation process, regulations and laws governing assessed values.
  
• Monitor market changes to measure market-driven value changes in geographic areas of responsibility.
  
• Perform appraisals of commercial, residential, and industrial property in response to appeals; prepare and present testimony before the Assessment Appeals Board.
  
• Pro-rate taxable values, as needed, when parcels are split or are combined.
  
• Conduct appraisals of Timber Preserve Zone and mineral properties, California Land Conservation Act properties, rural properties, and trees and vines.
  
• Correct errors to the tax roll for assessment roll corrections.
  
• Prepare various statistical and administrative reports.
  
• Attend training; read reports, journals, and periodicals to obtain current information on changes in tax laws, procedures, and economic trends.
  
• Maintain current knowledge of Revenue and Taxation code, methodologies for valuing property and changes to laws and regulations.
  
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with co-workers, other County employees and the public using principles of good customer service.
  
• Appraiser II may act on behalf of supervisor in supervisor's absence.
  
• Perform related duties as assigned.
  

WORKING CONDITIONS

Work is performed in both and indoor office environment with controlled temperature conditions and in the field requiring travel to various locations throughout the County in a variety of outdoor weather conditions.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

It is the responsibility of applicants to identify in their application materials how they meet the minimum qualifications listed below.

Experience and Training
Any combination of experience and training that would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and abilities would be:

Either:

Experience: No experience required.

Training: Equivalent to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.

Or:

Experience: Four (4) years experience within the last ten (10) years as an Accountant, Auditor, Real Property Appraiser, Building Cost Estimator, Engineer, Real Estate Loan Agent, Real Estate Loan Underwriter, Right-of-Way Agent, licensed Building Contractor, Real Estate Licensee that is licensed by the California Department of Real Estate and engaged in buying, selling, leasing or managing real estate, Appraiser Aide or Appraiser Trainee in an Assessor's Office of the Board of Equalization's Property Tax Department or performing duties similar to an Appraisal Technician II with Placer County.

Training: Training must be consistent with the requirements of Property Tax Rule 283 of the Revenue and Taxation Code or the Successor section.

Required License or Certificate:

• 
  Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid driver's license. Proof of adequate vehicle insurance and medical clearance may also be required.
  
  
• Possession of a valid Appraiser's Certificate issued by the State Board of Equalization must be obtained within six months from date of hire. Failure to obtain this certificate will be cause for termination of employment in this class.
  

NOTE: Relevant, equivalent experience (performing the same or similar job requiring similar knowledge, skills, and abilities) may be substituted for the required education as determined by the Human Resources Department.

NOTE: Applicants receiving their degree outside the United States must submit proof of accreditation by a recognized evaluation agency.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of:

• Basic principles of land economics; general knowledge of the principles of property appraisal.
  
• Analytical techniques.
  
• Mathematics used for financial and statistical analyses.
  
• Common word processing and spreadsheet software and the operation of a personal computer.
  
• Basic methodology of the sales comparison, income and cost approaches to appraisal.
  

Ability to:

• Intermittently analyze work papers, reports, and special projects; identify and interpret technical and numerical information; observe and solve problems in appraisal activities; understand, recall and explain related laws, codes, programs, and procedures; work under time pressure and complete a high volume of tasks; focus on a single task for long periods of time.
  
• On a continuous basis, sit at a desk for long periods of time and stand for long periods of time in the field. Intermittently, walk, twist, stand, kneel, stoop, climb and bend in the field or to reach office equipment; perform simple and power grasping, pushing, pulling and fine manipulation; intermittently write or use a keyboard to communicate; see with sufficient visual acuity to observe and assess property conditions and related information, and lift light weight.
  
• Learn and apply the principles and techniques of property appraisal.
  
• Learn, understand and interpret property tax laws and regulations.
  
• Conduct field examinations of construction sites at varying stages of completion to capture critical appraisal data.
  
• Assemble and analyze data and make arithmetic calculations.
  
• Maintain confidential information in accordance with legal standards and County regulations.
  
• Establish and maintain effective and cooperative working relationships with the public and fellow employees.
  
• Operate a personal computer in an on-line processing environment; utilize software application programs commonly used in the Assessor's Office.
  
• Communicate effectively in writing and speaking.
  

SELECTION PROCEDURE

Online Examination (100%) - Tentatively Scheduled for Week of May 19, 2025

After the posted filing deadline, qualified candidates will receive a notification via email when the examination is available. The online examination may include multiple choice, true/false, fill-in, matching, and/or essay type questions directly related to the required knowledge and abilities for this classification.

Note: Candidates will have approximately three (3) calendar days from the date of notification to complete the online examination. Only one attempt will be permitted.

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

Length of Probation:

All permanent appointments to this classification shall serve a probationary period of twelve (12) calendar months or two thousand eighty (2,080) hours, whichever is more.

Bargaining Unit:

General

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT

Prior to the date of hire, applicants must undergo a fingerprint test by the Department of Justice, pass a medical examination (which may include a drug screening and possibly a psychological evaluation), sign a constitutional oath, and submit proof of U.S. citizenship or legal right to remain and work in the U.S. For some positions, applicants may also be required to submit proof of age, undergo a background investigation (which may include a voice stress analysis and/or a polygraph), and/or be bonded. Additionally, positions in law enforcement classifications and those supporting law enforcement functions will be required to complete a conviction history questionnaire prior to or during the interview process. Applicants for positions with access to Medi-Cal billing software or who are licensed providers must clear the Federal Exclusion List, credentialing, and social security verification. Failure to clear these requirements may result in an employment offer being withdrawn.

SUBSTITUTE LISTS

The eligible list resulting from this recruitment may be certified as a substitute list for a substantially similar classification. For this purpose, a substantially similar classification is one at a lower level in the same classification (example: entry level vs. journey level) and/or a similar classification (similar work performed, similar training and experience qualifications required). If you are contacted for an interview by a County department, you will be informed of the classification and other relevant information. If you choose not to interview for a substantially similar classification, you will remain on the eligible list for which you originally applied.

EMPLOYEES OF OTHER PUBLIC AGENCIES

Placer County offers an expedited process for qualifying certain applicants for interviews. Candidates currently employed, or employed within the last year, by a public agency operating under a personnel civil service or merit system may be eligible to be placed on a Public Agency Eligible List and certified as eligible for appointment to a similar job assignment without going through the examination process. For more information on the Public Agency Eligible List, to download forms, or to apply, please click here.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Placer County is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to an active nondiscrimination program. It is the stated policy of Placer County that unlawful harassment, discrimination, and retaliation are prohibited and that all employees, applicants, agents, contractors, and interns/volunteers shall receive equal consideration and treatment. All terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, transfer, and promotion will be based on the qualifications of the individual for the positions being filled regardless of the following characteristics: gender (including gender identity and expression), sexual orientation, race (including traits associated with race, which include, but are not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists), color, ancestry, religion (including creed and belief), national origin, citizenship, primary language, immigration status, physical disability (Including HIV and AIDS), mental disability, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics/information), age (40 or over), marital status, military and/or veteran status, sex (including parental status, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), reproductive health decision making, the person’s use of cannabis off the job and away from the workplace, political orientation, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law or any combination of two or more characteristics stated herein. Please contact the Human Resources Department at least 5 working days before a scheduled examination if you require accommodation in the examination process. Medical disability verification may be required prior to accommodation.

Conclusion

For questions regarding this recruitment, please contact Lindsay Baer, Administrative Technician, at lbaer@placer.ca.gov or (530) 886-4667.

Closing Date/Time: 5/8/2025 5:00:00 PM

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• Placer County

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