All candidates for township or multi-township assessor must file a certificate of qualifications with their nomination papers pursuant to the provisions of Section 2-45 of the Property Tax Code (35 ILCS 200/2-45). Candidates who are filing nomination papers in the year 2000 for the 2001 election, participating in a 2001 caucus, or participating as a write-in candidate must meet one of the following minimum education requirements. The educational qualification for township or multi-township assessors is generally based upon the equalized assessed value (EAV) of the assessment jurisdiction.

In an introductory assessment jurisdiction with a $10 million or less in non-farm EAV and less than $1 million in commercial and industrial EAV a candidate must possess one of the following qualifications:

1. Passed the Township Assessor-Introductory Course offered by the Illinois Department of Revenue. (DOR)
2. Passed the Basic Course offered by the Illinois Property Assessment Institute prior to January 1, 1997.
3. Possess a designation approved for larger assessment jurisdictions.

In an intermediate assessment jurisdiction with more than $10 million in non-farm EAV and less than $25 million in non-farm EAV and less than $1 million in commercial and industrial EAV, the qualifications will be based upon whether the candidate was previously elected in any such jurisdiction.

1. If the candidate has not been previously elected to office in an assessment Jurisdiction that in 1994 had more than $10 million and less than $25 million in non-farm EAV and less than $1 million in commercial and industrial EAV in Section 2-45 (d) of the Property Tax Code (35 ILCS 200/2-45 (d) the candidate must meet one of the requirements for an introductory assessment jurisdiction.
2. If the candidate was previously elected to office in an assessment jurisdiction that in 1994 had more than $10 million and less than $25 million in non-farm EAV and less than $1 million in commercial and industrial EAV in Section 2-45 (b) of the Property Tax Code (35 ILCS 200/2-45 (b) the candidate must meet one of the designation requirements for a larger assessment jurisdiction.

In a larger assessment jurisdiction with more than $25 million in non-farm EAV or more than $1 million in commercial and industrial EAV a candidate must possess one of the following designations in Section 2-45 (c) of the Property Tax Code (35 ILCS 200/2-45 (c):

1. A Certified Illinois Assessment Officer (CIAO) or the Certified Illinois Assessment Officer-Associate (CIAO-A) from the Illinois Property Assessment Institute.
2. A Certified Assessment Evaluator (CAE) or Residential Evaluation Specialist (RES) designation from the International Association of Assessing Officers IAAO).
3. A Residential Member (RM), Member Appraisal Institute (MAI), Senior Real Estate Analyst (SREA), Senior Real Property Appraiser (SRPA), or Senior Residential Appraiser (SRA) from the Appraisal Institute.
4. A Member (IFA), Senior Member (IFAS), or Appraiser-Counselor (IFAC) from the National Association of Independent Fee Appraisers.
5. A Member (ASA) designation from the American Society of Appraisers.

Candidates who are planning to use either the Introductory Course in Assessment Practices or the Certified Illinois Assessing Officer designation will need to contact the Illinois Department of Revenue at (217) 782-6958 for a Certificate of Qualification. Candidates who are planning to use one of the other approved designations in Section 2-45 will need to request a letter of qualification from those organizations. The letter of qualification from other organizations should specify the type of designation, membership status, and the time period for which the candidate qualifies.

For any additional information regarding the educational requirements for township or multi-township assessor, contact the Illinois Department of Revenue at (217) 524-5263.

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