Appraiser IV

Examples of Duties

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

• Appraises commercial, industrial and agricultural properties, various classes of buildings and related structures, improved and unimproved land and interests in land.
  
  
• Provides direction to Appraisers in the performance of day-to-day activities; determines priorities, trains, assigns and reviews work and assists in establishing job standards and evaluation of work quality and performance levels; provides ongoing feedback to staff relative to job performance and provides input to supervisor for performance evaluations.
  
  
• Trains, advises and assists appraisers in appraising difficult or specialized types of property, develops work aids and procedures as a guide to other appraisers, performs appraisals as standards for other appraisers to follow; reviews appraisals made by others for purposes of evaluating training needs and the need for revising procedures.
  
  
• Recommends new and/or improved methods for arriving at appropriate and equitable appraisals for different types of properties.
  
  
• Interviews individual taxpayers and interested groups and explains appraisal and assessing procedures; appears as an expert witness in hearings pertaining to appraisals; presents appraisals to the assessment appeals board.
  
  
• Contacts representatives of other government agencies to gather information affecting assessment standards, procedures and values, prepares reports and correspondence.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience:
Three (3) years of increasingly responsible professional level property appraisal work for tax assessment, purchase, or loan extension purposes; including one (1) year of handling large industrial or commercial properties and properties of high value and multipurpose use or large size.

Education:
Equivalent to college graduation preferably in accounting, business administration, economics, agriculture or civil engineering. Equivalent experience in accounting, auditing, appraising, and building cost estimating, or engineering may substitute on a year-for-year basis for the required education.

Licenses:
Possession of permanent advanced certification as an Auditor-Appraiser/Appraiser by the California State Board of Equalization.

Possess a valid California driver's license at time of appointment and maintain.

Essential Functions

• Ability to effectively utilize computers and software programs for appraisals, communication and recordkeeping.
  
  
• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
  
  
• Provide excellent customer service and establish and maintain effective working relationships with fellow employees and the general public.
  
  
• Conduct inspections over uneven surfaces under various environmental conditions.
  
  
• Frequent use of depth perception, peripheral vision and color perception.
  
  
• Frequently lift, carry, reach, push, pull, twist and manipulate large and small objects.
  
  
• Kneel, bend, twist, squat, balance and crawl.
  
  
• Frequent use of hand-eye coordination.
  
  
• Frequent use of data entry device including repetitive hand and arm motion.
  
  
• Occasionally lift and carry up to 40 pounds.
  
  
• Normal dexterity, frequent holding and grasping.
  
  
• Regular attendance is an essential function.
  
  

Ability to:

• Make moderate to complex appraisals of residential, commercial, industrial, rural properties and change in ownership determinations.
  
  
• Lead, assign, train, and review the work of subordinate staff.
  
  
• Read, interpret and apply laws and regulations to complex recorded and unrecorded documents.
  
  
• Interpret data and apply mathematical calculations to property appraisal.
  
  
• Maintain confidential information in accordance with legal standards and/or County regulations.
  
  
• Draw sketches of improvements to scale; read and interpret blueprints, sketches and property descriptions.
  
  
• Keep accurate and detailed records; prepare clear and concise recommendations and reports.
  
  

Knowledge of:

• California Property Tax Laws and regulations and the Assessor's Handbook.
  
  
• Methods of real property appraisal, practices, procedures and terminology.
  
  
• Factors affecting the economic value of property.
  
  
• Factors, techniques, methods, and principles involved in the appraisal of real property.
  
  
• Methods of determining property value.
  
  
• Statistical concepts and applications.
  
  
• Building materials, equipment, fixtures, workmanship, and construction quality and quantities, as applied to all classes of buildings.
  
  
• Factors affecting building and equipment depreciation and obsolescence.
  
  
• Sources of information concerning property values.
  
  
• Court decisions affecting the assessment of land, building, structures and personal property; and decisions applying to change in ownership determinations.
  
  
• Orchard trees and vines (for rural appraisals).
  
  
• Dairy ranches and equipment (for rural appraisals).

Why Merced County? A message from the CEO

HOLIDAYS & LEAVES
VACATION

10 days the first 5 years of continuous employment (limited to a maximum of 160 hours), 15 days in the second 5 years of continuous employment (limited to a maximum of 240 hours), and 20 days after 10 years of continuous employment (limited to a maximum of 320 hours).

SICK LEAVE

0.0625 hours sick leave for each paid regularly scheduled work hour. 16 days (130 hours per year) with unlimited accumulation. Optional annual buy back of a portion of accumulated sick leave hours upon meeting certain criteria.

HOLIDAYS

Twelve paid holidays annually plus two optional holidays.

BEREAVEMENT LEAVE

Five (5) regularly scheduled workdays.

INSURANCE
HEALTH INSURANCE
Medical Insurance - Merced County offers multiple Medical Plans and contributes towards employee and dependent premiums.

• Anthem 500 EPO
• Anthem 1500 EPO
• Anthem HDHP (High Deductible Medical Plan) with Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Anthem HDHP (High Deductible Medical Plan) without Health Savings Account (HSA)

Dental Insurance - Delta Dental

• County pays 100% of the premium for employees and 50% for dependent(s)

Vision Insurance - VSP

• County pays 100% of the premium for employees and 50% for dependent(s)

DISABILITY INSURANCE

State Disability Insurance (SDI)
Merced County non-management employees are enrolled in the State Disability Insurance Program (SDI). Premiums for this insurance are paid by the employee. This insurance is administered solely by the State, who determines eligibility and payments. Benefit amounts are based on the quarter with the highest wages earned within the base period.

LIFE INSURANCE

County-paid Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance

• Represented Employees $10,000

Voluntary Term and Whole Life Insurance are available - premium paid by employee

RETIREMENT
DEFERRED COMPENSATION

The County offers a 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan. Employees choose their investment funds and can make pre-tax or post-tax contributions to the plan up to the maximum allowable.

MERCED COUNTY EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT ASSOCIATION

The retirement plan is a defined benefit plan administered pursuant to the County Employees Retirement Law of 1937 and other provisions of the California Government Code. MCERA members also pay into Social Security. The applicable benefit formula is dependent upon your hire date with an MCERA employer; your pension amount will be determined by your age, years of service and final compensation amount.

EXTRA HELP EMPLOYEES DO NOT QUALIFY FOR COUNTY BENEFITS.

EMPLOYEE PROGRAMS
EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (EAP)

Anthem EAP services provide up to five face-to-face counseling sessions per incident and provides a toll-free "800" hotline available 24/7 for emergencies and crisis intervention. EAP services include counseling services, legal services, financial services and work-life resource services.

EMPLOYEE TICKETS, COUPONS, and DISCOUNTS

The County of Merced has partnered with Employee Savings Tickets to provide discounted coupons and tickets for all county employees to attractions throughout the state and out-of-state. The discounts and coupons are available for shopping, movies, sporting events, theme parks, zoos and aquariums and much more.

THIS BULLETIN IS NOT A CONTRACT AND DOES NOT CREATE CONTRACTUAL OR LEGAL RIGHTS ON BEHALF OF ANY EMPLOYEE. THIS BULLETIN IS SUBJECT OF BEING SUPPLEMENTED, MODIFIED, WITHDRAWN OR OTHERWISE CHANGED PENDING LABOR AGREEMENTS AND/OR AT THE DISCRETION OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER OR AS THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS DEEM NECESSARY.

For answers to specific questions regarding employee benefits, please call Human Resources at 209.385.7356.