N.Y. Real Property Tax Law § 310: Assessor

§ 310. Assessor. 1. Selection. Each local government to which this

title applies which has the power to assess real property for purposes

of taxation shall have one assessor. An appointive assessor shall be

appointed by the legislative body of the local government except that in

a local government where department heads and other local officers are

appointed by the chief executive officer, such assessor shall be

appointed by such officer. Any resident of the state, otherwise eligible

for appointment as assessor, may be appointed assessor. An assessor may

be employed by the local government in any other position not

incompatible with the office of assessor.

2. Term of office. The term of office of assessor shall be six years

except as otherwise provided in subdivision seven of this section. The

terms for appointive assessors shall commence on the first day of

October, nineteen hundred seventy-one and each sixth year thereafter.

Where a town has exercised the option to elect one assessor, as provided

by section three hundred twenty-nine of this article, the term for such

elected assessor shall be as of the first day of January, nineteen

hundred ninety-four and each sixth year thereafter.

3. Classification. The position of appointive assessor shall be in the

classified service, notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (e) of

section thirty-five of the civil service law.

4. Minimum qualification standards. No person shall be eligible for

appointment as assessor unless he meets the minimum qualification

standards established for such office by the commissioner.

5. Certification and continuing education. (a) All assessors, whether

appointed or elected, must obtain commissioner certification of

successful completion of the basic course of training and education

prescribed by the commissioner pursuant to this title.

(b) In addition to the basic course of training and education, all

appointive assessors and any assessor elected to a six-year term shall

also complete additional courses in a continuing training and education

program prescribed by the commissioner pursuant to the provisions of

this title.

6. Training; services by state; county cooperation. The commissioner

shall provide training programs including but not limited to courses of

training and education required to be completed by local officers and

employees and by candidates for certification as eligible for the

position of assessor in accordance with the provisions of this title.

Such programs shall be provided by the commissioner for counties, cities

and towns to which this title is applicable. Counties shall cooperate

with the commissioner in providing such programs.

7. Indefinite term for assessors. Notwithstanding the provisions of

subdivision two of this section, the office of assessor shall have an

indefinite term (a) where the office of assessor is a full time position

as determined by the local legislative body and on or after August

first, nineteen hundred seventy is classified in the competitive class

of the civil service at the request of the local legislative body or (b)

where on July thirty-first, nineteen hundred seventy the office of

assessor is classified in the competitive class of the civil service and

has an indefinite term pursuant to law.