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Kristin Higgins
Public Policy Center
Phone: 501-671-2160
Email: khiggins@uada.edu
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
2301 S. University Avenue
Little Rock, AR 72204
What is a County Surveyor?
The role of county surveyor is one of nine elected executives in county government. But not every county elects a surveyor. In many counties, the surveyor role is a part-time elected job for someone who is a licensed surveyor.
The elected position dates back to pre-licensure days and includes old job requirements, Saline County Surveyor Aaron Rasburry told us in 2022 when we first published a blog post about this elected position. One example, he said, is the county surveyor acting as the county timber inspector where needed, and determining the amount of timber cut. The historic role also had surveyors keeping timber records and prosecuting people who removed timber from state-owned lands. Rasburry said he doesn't get called in for these situations.
Term in Office: A constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2016 changed the term of a county surveyor from two years to four years.
The Association of Arkansas Counties' county government salary survey does not include salaries for county surveyors. Rasburry told us there's no county budget for him in Saline County and that he's called in on a contractual basis when there's a need for survey work by a county surveyor.
Eligibility Requirements:
- United States citizen
- Registered to vote in their county
- No fraud or felony convictions
- Must be a person of good character and reputation
- Must be registered as a professional surveyor by the State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors. This requirement means the surveyor must be at least 21 years old and meet additional education requirements.
Job Duties:
Over their four-year term, a county surveyor is responsible for:
- Locating boundaries of specific properties at the request of the assessor
- Establishing disputed property lines upon the request of the county or the courts
- *Acting as the county timber inspector where needed, and determines the amount of timber cut, keeps records, and prosecutes people who remove timber from state-owned lands. (This is an example of an old requirement that Rasburry said he doesn't get called in to do.)
Sign Up for "Introduction to County Government in Arkansas" Course
Want to know more about how county government operates in Arkansas? Sign up at https://learn.uada.edu/ for a free account to register for our new County Government in Arkansas course to learn about the roles and responsibilities of county offices and how local government is funded.