70.055 Expert assessment help. If the governing body of any town, village or city not subject to assessment by a county assessor under s. 70.99 determines that it is in the public interest to employ expert help to aid in making an assessment in order that the assessment may be equitably made in compliance with law, the governing body may employ such necessary help from persons currently certified by the department of revenue as expert appraisers. If the help so employed is the department of revenue, the department shall designate the persons in its employ responsible for the assessment. If the emergency help so employed is a corporation the corporation shall designate the persons in its employ responsible for the assessment.

(1) Certification requirements. An applicant for certification as an expert appraiser shall submit satisfactory evidence to the department of revenue as follows:

(a) That the applicant has acquired a thorough knowledge of appraisal techniques and general property assessment standards.

(b) That through examination given by the department of revenue he or she has demonstrated to the department that he or she possesses the necessary qualifications for certification of assessors as described in s. 73.09.

(3) Standard specifications. The department of revenue shall prescribe standard specifications relating to assessment work performed by expert appraisers other than the department of revenue. No contract for expert help may be approved by the department of revenue unless the contract is submitted on standard contract forms prescribed by the department. If the department of revenue acts as the expert help it shall perform the assessment duties in accordance with the standard specifications.

NOTE: Sub. (3) is shown as renumbered from sub. (3) (a) by the legislative reference bureau under s. 13.92 (1) (bm) 2.

(4) Duties. When appointed, expert help, together with the assessor, shall act together as an assessment board in exercising the powers and duties of the assessor during this employment, and the concurrence of a majority of the board is necessary to determine any matter upon which they are required to act. All persons appointed or designated as emergency help shall file the official oath under s. 19.01.

(5) Department of revenue costs. All costs of the department of revenue in connection with assessment under this section shall be borne by the taxation district. These receipts shall be credited to the appropriation under s. 20.566 (2) (h). Past due accounts shall be certified on or before the 4th Monday of August of each year and included in the next apportionment of state special charges to local units of government.

History: 1971 c. 40; 1973 c. 90; 1975 c. 39, 199; 1977 c. 29; 1979 c. 221; 1981 c. 20; 1983 a. 27; 1991 a. 316; s. 13.92 (1) (bm) 2.