Tax and Licensing Specialist

Chisago County; Minnesota; On-site; USD 40,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job summary

Chisago County is seeking a Tax and Licensing Specialist to perform intermediate work processing property tax payments, balance receipts, and assist with license issuance at the County Government Center in Center City, MN.

The role requires reading legal descriptions, calculating taxes, and helping with election administration, voter registration, and land records maintenance under supervision of the County Auditor-Treasurer. Union environment with full-time status.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of office practices and procedures.
• Ability to balance daily revenue and maintain accurate records.
• Proficient with MS Word, Excel and Outlook; able to read legal descriptions.

Responsibilities

• Process property tax payments and balance receipts daily.
• Assist with license issuance and voter registration tasks.
• Support front counter and phone inquiries with professional customer service.
• Review and maintain land records and related transactions for accuracy.

Skills

Office procedures

Cash handling

MS Word/Excel/Outlook

Communication

Mathematical calculations

Customer service

Overtime availability

Education

High School diploma or GED

Tools

10-key calculator

Personal computer

Job description

Closing Date: November 9, 2026
$29.30 to $38.58 DOQ.

Title: Tax and Licensing Specialist

Updated: 03/2025

Department: Auditor

Reports to: County Auditor-Treasurer

Position Status: Full-time; Appointed; Union

Job Location: Chisago County Government Center, Center City, MN

Position Objective

Performs intermediate work processing property tax payments and balancing monies daily, assist with various tasks involved with tax calculation, manage issuance of various licenses, assisting with election and processing absentee ballots and voter registrations, assisting customers at the front counter and over the phone, assist with the application, review, maintenance and compliance of all land record transactions and related work as apparent or assigned. Work is performed under the limited supervision of the Auditor-Treasurer.

Essential Functions

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable an individual with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Maintenance of computerized and/or manual department records.
• Assist with election administration with the distribution and processing of absentee ballots, processing of voter registration application and election day duties as necessary.
• Manages retention and destruction of records with questionable items discussed with the County Auditor-Treasurer.
• Assist with coverage of front counter and telephones as necessary to ensure appropriate customer service for the department.
• Collection of property tax receipts of the County. Accurately collect, receipt and record all revenue collections. Balance daily property tax receipts.
• Maintenance of computerized property tax records. Ability to read complex legal descriptions, calculate property tax payments (current and delinquent) for both real and personal property, calculate mortgage registration and State deed tax, research various aspects of property ownership and tax, and accurately maintain property ownership.
• Assist the public with inquiries such as identifying property ownership, legal descriptions, taxes, special assessments and property address information to provide professional and helpful customer service.
• Provide assistance in reviews, researches, verifies and interprets legal documents presented for property transfer for accuracy and completeness and to determine ownership and encumbrances to ensure accurate property and tax records.
• Assist with initial approval of legal descriptions for internal and external customers to ensure accurate legal description for property records.
• Assist with property tax system management assuring accurate and current property records and address databases in the electronic tax system.
• Assist with review of final plats, parcel combinations and parcel splits for accuracy.
• Calculates and collects taxes for transfer and mortgage documents and reconciles deposits into the financial and property tax databases.
• Interprets and researches property ownership, parcel identification numbers, legal descriptions, tax information and minor subdivision for transfer documents, mortgages and other items.
• Reviews and edits transfer of property maintained in the electronic tax system.
• Reviews and edits Certificates of Real Estate Value and transfers to the State of Minnesota Department of Revenue
• Assist with delinquent tax and forfeiture legal processes to assist with tax collection and returning properties to taxable status.
• Research property ownership for tax forfeit legal processes and assist with preparation of required notifications.
• Assist with collection of information from outside taxing authorities for tax calculation and special assessment maintenance.
• Assist with property tax calculation and proofing of calculations for accuracy.
• Manage Aggregate Tax collection and fund distribution process.
• Manage Green Acre paybacks in conjunction with the Assessor’s Office.
• Interprets State statutes and processes applications for issuance of liquor, tobacco and cannabis licenses; manage the licenses process to facilitate legal and timely license issuance.
• Manage license issuance process.
• Monitors and keeps current on property tax laws and legislative changes.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of department office practices, policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of laws, rules, and regulations relating to department operations.
• Knowledge of internal cash control methods. Must be able to account for large sums of money and balance accounts daily.
• Ability/skill in the operation of 10 key calculator, computer keyboard, and other routine office equipment.
• Knowledge of legal land description and ability to process legal documents with speed and accuracy.
• Must be proficient in MS Word, Excel and Outlook.
• Ability to communicate tactfully with a wide variety of people and establish/maintain effective working relationships internally and externally.
• Skill to perform mathematical calculations including percentage with speed and accuracy.
• Ability to perform semi routine administrative support. Ability to compose correspondence.
• Knowledge of County resolution and State Statues and/or the knowledge to use resources available to locate information needed.
• Must maintain confidentiality of all non-public information.
• Must be able to work overtime as necessary.

Desired Minimum Qualifications

High School diploma or GED and considerable experience, or a combination of equivalent education and experience.

Special Qualifications

None.

Tools and Equipment Used

Calculator, personal computer, copy machine, telephone, standard office equipment, facsimile machine.

Working Conditions

The characteristics listed below are representative of the physical demands, physical agility, sensory requirements, and environmental exposures required by an individual to successfully perform the essential duties of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties.

• This classification occasionally involves physical agility requirements such as: climbing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, reaching, pushing, pulling, repetitive motions and manual dexterity.
• Sensory requirements include close vision, distance vision, ability to adjust focus, depth perception, color perception, night vision and peripheral vision; vocal communication is required for expressing ideas by means of the spoken word; and hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works in an office setting. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderately quiet.

Physical Exertion (Pounds)

Up to 10

Occasional

Up to 25

Occasional

Up to 50

Occasional

Up to 100

Seldom

100 or more

Seldom

Applicants for appointment to this position will be required to submit a formal application and may be subject to rating of education and experience, oral interview and/or reference check, background investigation, criminal history check, drug testing. Job related tests may be required of any applicant.

The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

This job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee as is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirements of the job change.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.