Facilities

• Assessing Department
• Tax & Water Billing Department

The Assessing Department consists of the city assessor and an appraiser 3. Both employees are certified by the State Tax Commission as Michigan Advanced Assessing Officers.

The Assessing Department is the first link in the property tax revenue chain. The Assessor's responsibility is the discovery, listing, and valuation of all properties within the assessing jurisdiction. The primary purpose of the Assessing Department is to estimate the fair market value, or "true cash value," of all real and personal property located within the City of St. Clair Shores.

The Assessor has the responsibility to study the market transactions and appraise all property in accordance with market trends. The Assessing Department also keeps track of ownership changes, maintains maps of parcel boundaries, maintains legal descriptions for all land, and prepares sketches of all buildings and summarizes their characteristics. The office also tracks individuals and organizations eligible for exemptions and other forms of property tax relief.