The City of Waukesha is an award winning, growing community located along the shores of the Fox River, 15 miles west of Milwaukee. The City is the 7th largest in the state with a population of close to 72,000 people and was included in Money Magazine’s 100 Best places to live in 2019.

This position is responsible for the valuation of residential real and personal property in the City, to determine assessment values.

Essential Job Functions 

The job functions listed herein are neither exclusive nor exhaustive, but are intended to be illustrative of the types of tasks the employee will most likely be expected to perform on a regular basis. The employee may be asked to perform different or additional tasks than the ones listed here, as the needs of the employer and/or the requirements of the position change.

• Supervises the filing process and computation of merchants’ personal property assessments.
• Maintains and applies depreciation schedules for various kinds of property.
• Assists property owners in the interpretation of, and correct filing procedures for the Merchants and Professions Statement of Personal Property.
• Engages in discovery and inspection of new and existing residential and personal property accounts throughout the City; canvasses businesses annually to maintain and verify personal property records; a reviews business journals and other publications for the purpose of locating new property accounts and/or closures.
• Photographs changes to properties; creates and maintains spreadsheets and maintains appropriate records and documentation.
• Prepares, reviews and defends Board of Review and court cases relating to the real and personal property accounts as assigned by the City Assessor.
• Conducts field inspections to determine the fair market value of annexed new construction and exiting real property and improvements thereon, creates or corrects drawings to reflect interior and exterior details, reviews alterations and additions.
• Conducts sales verification studies to determine the validity of sales and confirms consistency of the current information on file in the Assessor’s Office.
• Computes replacement costs of new structures, utilizing comparable properties in determining the market values of new and existing properties where assessments appear inequitable.
• Confers with and assists taxpayers by providing property information and explaining current assessment practices.
• Verifies and maintains current status of all tax exempt properties; reports same to the State.
• Assigns property tax key numbers to new subdivisions, certified survey maps, condominiums, split parcels, annexed properties, etc.
• Researches all new property legal descriptions and annexations.
• Enters data and changes into Mass Appraisal, C.A.M.A. and Personal Property database.
• Prepares technical correspondence and documents.
• Corresponds with residents; conducts sales verifications; responds to requests for review and for building permits.
• Responds to taxpayers’ inquires regarding assessment laws and procedures, appraisal practices and valuations.
• Verifies accuracy of computer data against source documents and entries in preparation of the Real and Personal Property tax notices and City assessment roll.
• Assists in the preparation of annual statistical reports for the Department of Revenue.
• Performs general office duties; answers telephones, assists visitors, maintains files, data entry and related paperwork.
• Instructs, trains and assists other department staff where appropriate.

Requirements of Work

Graduation from an accredited two-year college program with technical training in property assessment and at least 2 - 3 years of experience in the valuation of real and personal property preferably in a municipal setting; or any equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the following knowledge, ability and skills:

Knowledge of

• The principles, methods and techniques of Wisconsin property tax laws and applicable state statutes.
• The Wisconsin Property Assessment Manual.
• The current marketplace in residential real estate and personal property values.
• Building construction practices and building and land values.
• The use of computers, relevant software programs and standard office equipment.

Ability to

• Perform arithmetic computations accurately and rapidly and write legibly.
• Make sound decisions and use discretion in interpreting and applying department policies and procedures.
• Perform physical tasks in adverse weather situations.
• Prioritize workload and work independently with minimal supervision.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with other employees and with the general public.
• Prepare reports and answer questions regarding information provided.

Skill in

• Oral and written communications.
• Dealing with the public in a courteous and professional manner.

Necessary Special Requirements

• Assessor 2 Certification from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Work is performed mostly in an office setting; hand-eye coordination is necessary to operate computers and various pieces of office equipment.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, stand, walk, talk and hear; use hands and fingers to handle, feel, or operate objects, tools, or controls and reach with hands and arms.
• The employee is occasionally required to work outdoors and may experience adverse conditions such as extreme heat, cold, wetness or humidity, dust or noise; and may occasionally be exposed to other unpleasant situations.
• The employee is occasionally required to kneel, crouch, bend, climb or balance.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.

The City of Waukesha is an Equal Opportunity Employer

It is not typical for someone to be hired at or near the top of the salary range. The specific compensation offered to a candidate is reviewed and based off a variety of factors including skills, qualifications, experience, certifications, and internal equity.

Internal City applicants: please review HR Policy F2 Salary Plan and Administration regarding promotions/transfers.