Sec. 2-681. - Membership.

The assessor's board shall consist of three voting public members and the city assessor, who shall act as a permanent, nonvoting, ex officio chair and chief clerk of the board. In determining each member's qualifications, the mayor shall take into consideration an appointee's professional experience in real estate, assessing, property appraisal, and banking; as well as a background in financing, statistics, math, real estate development/management. Members must be Keene residents.

Sec. 2-684. - Powers, duties and guidelines.

In accordance with the provisions of applicable law, the powers, duties and guidelines in this section are established for the conduct of the assessor's board. The board shall:

(1)  Ensure that property of all types in the city is valued fairly, impartially, and equitably in relationship to all other property, so that no taxpayer pays more than his fair share nor less than his fair share of property taxes.

(2)  Assess taxes and grant abatements in accordance with the provisions of applicable law.

(3)  Hear citizen comments on the performance of the department of assessment.

(4)  Assist the city assessor in maintaining a high state of morale and readiness in the department of assessment by encouraging the training and professional development of the assessor.

(5)  Advise the city assessor on the problems and policies of the department of assessment.

(6)  Furnish information concerning any of the work, conduct, affairs and activities of the office to the city council on request. The board shall prepare an annual report which shall be filed not later than December 1 with the city clerk and shall show the total appraised valuation of all real estate in the city assessed thereon, the real estate and other property not publicly owned but exempted from taxation, the value of publicly owned real estate in the city, and other information which is deemed of interest to the city council and taxpayers of the city. The annual report shall also show the total amount of taxes upon property or polls that has been abated during the period covered by the report and shall state briefly the reasons therefor and shall include any additional information requested by the council.

(7)  Advise the city council and city manager on procedural matters concerned with tax assessment.

(8)  Seek ways of improving the performance of the functions of the board.

(9)  Advise the city council, city manager, city assessor, and director of finance on the application of the tax assessment and abatement laws and ways to improve the laws.

(10)  Exercise its best efforts by every allowable means to promote and perpetuate the growth, responsiveness, and the usefulness of the assessor functions of the city.

(11)  Act as a publicizing agent bringing all types of assessor programs and problems to the notice of the public.

(12)  Inform itself thoroughly of the assessor's activities contemplated for improvements of the function.

(13)  Designate a member of the board to appear before other boards or city council committees to testify on matters of concern to the board.

(14)  Develop active regional cooperation with other committees and levels of government.

(15)  Study and recommend methods of financing proposed improvements in assessor operations.

(16)  Appear before state and federal agencies to request financial assistance for assessor programs or to advocate changes in the state laws and federal regulations as they affect the ability of the city to carry out its function.

(17)  Recommend for the city manager's consideration matters concerned with program or policy expansion, contraction, or deletion.

(18)  Request the city manager to require his subordinates to furnish to the assessors' board, within a reasonable period of time, such available information as it may properly require for its work.

(19)  Perform such other related functions as required by the city council or requested by the city manager.