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Contact
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 Assessor?
There are a lot of jobs on the ballot that people might not know what they do. Today we highlight the job of a county assessor.
County Assessor in Arkansas
One of the few interactions most Arkansans have with the county tax assessor is that last-minute appraisal of your car or boat or other personal property before the May 31st deadline. Or when you're trying to renew your vehicle or boat tags at the DMV and realize you forgot to assess this year.
The county assessor is one of nine executives in county government and is required by state law to review property values at least once every three years. Their efforts inform the county tax collector, who sends out property tax bills every year.
Term in Office: A constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2016 changed the term of a county assessor from two years to four years. The pay for the job varies depending on the population of the county, and is set by the Quorum Court.
The Association of Arkansas Counties reported salaries ranging from about $39,649 to $150,884 in their 2024 county government salary survey.
Eligibility Requirements:
- United States citizen
- At least 18 years old
- Registered to vote in their county
- No fraud or felony convictions
Job Duties:
Over their four-year term, a county assessor is responsible for:
- Determining the market value of all land, buildings, homes, barns, etc. in the county (known as "real property")
- Determining the market value of all cars, motorcycles, livestock, boats, etc. in the county (known as "personal property")
- Establishing how much taxes are owed on those properties based on their appraisals
- Compiling and sharing tax information on these properties with the county's Board of Equalization, which hears property tax appeals
- Being aware of all property transactions in the county
- Maintaining records of property transactions in the county
Want to know more about property taxes in Arkansas? We have a website about it: https://www.uaex.uada.edu/business-communities/local-government/property-taxes.aspx
Additional Reading
Arkansas County Assessors 2022 Procedures Manual - Association of Arkansas Counties
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.