What Our Assessors Have to Say

THE WORK THAT WE DO

"My first position was with the Residential Team-North Section. I am now responsible for benchmarking, training, and organization of staff to complete full re-inspections of neighborhoods."
—Aaron Steblyk, Assessor I

"I am a real-estate assessor. I value properties so that the City can distribute taxes equitably among taxpayers. My responsibilities include three main functions: valuation, property inspection, and making presentations to Assessment Review Boards to defend assessed values."
—Chris Hodgson, Assessor II

"I am an Assessor in the Residential Section of my Branch. I value the single-family residential properties in the City using multiple regression analysis. I analyze sales in order to estimate the market value of residential properties for taxation purposes."
—Deanne Bannerman, Assessor II

OUR EXPERIENCE

"I have been working with the City for three years. I decided to join the City because Edmonton is my home. I heard about the Assessment Branch through a City employee. The factors that were important in my decision to work here were the benefits and compensation, the work/life balance, and the potential for further education."
—Aaron Steblyk, Assessor I

"I started with the City while going to school in the area and worked here for two summers. I then became an Assessor Assistant. Now, I am a full-fledged Assessor and have been working for the City for more than five years."
—Chris Hodgson, Assessor II

"The City of Edmonton was my first choice for employment and I have worked here for seven years. There are so many opportunities available for people when they work at the City of Edmonton because it is such a large municipality. An Assessor has the chance to specialize in so many different areas that smaller municipalities cannot offer."
—Deanne Bannerman, Assessor II

THE REWARDS

"The most rewarding part of working with the City of Edmonton has been the progression through the different phases of my career. Getting the job done is rewarding, and with clearly defined goals, I was able to quickly advance and take on more responsibilities."
—Chris Hodgson, Assessor II

"I would say the most rewarding thing about working here are the thank-yous that you receive from the public for services that you provide. It shows that you have done your job."
—Aaron Steblyk, Assessor I

"Another rewarding aspect of working with the City of Edmonton is knowing how they support your professional endeavors. They are really understanding about the need to learn, grow and advance, and do whatever they can to support you."
—Chris Hodgson, Assessor II

"There are so many benefits to working for the City of Edmonton. The City encourages their employees to be innovative and provides the tools and the training that I need to perform my job in the best manner possible."
—Deanne Bannerman, Assessor II

OUR CULTURE OF SUCCESS

"Regarding the workplace, the people are really great, and so is the work/life balance. I'm well compensated for the job that I do and there are lots of advancement opportunities. The City is well known for providing great rewards and recognition for your professional accomplishments. The people I work with are special to me, and my workplace feels kind of like spending time with family."
—Chris Hodgson, Assessor II

"As for the work culture, the City of Edmonton is very diverse, with many different age groups and cultures. It is a good, steady place to work, and from my experience in other public organizations, it is much larger in comparison. As a public institution, it differs from private industry in the ways you can advance and be rewarded for your efforts."
—Aaron Steblyk, Assessor I

"It differs from the private sector because it's more of a fun atmosphere, though we do work hard. It's also a more secure setting, with a unionized environment. There's lots of collaboration on the job. And outside of work, we do things as a group, including social events, barbeques, and holiday celebrations."
—Chris Hodgson, Assessor II

"Working downtown is great! Many of the fantastic festivals that The City of Edmonton is known for occur right on our front lawn. It is an exciting atmosphere. Being such a large group, we rely on each other and work together as a team."
—Deanne Bannerman, Assessor II

THE PERSONAL TRAITS OF AN EXCELLENT ASSESSOR

"The kind of people who excel here are very personable, outgoing and knowledgeable. The City of Edmonton is a great place to work because you are able to grow as a professional. Here, you can really expand your skills in many professional areas of assessment, whether it be public speaking, construction knowledge, or interaction with others. And it offers competitive wages and benefits, along with a pension."
—Aaron Steblyk, Assessor I

"The three words or phrases I would choose to describe working with the City of Edmonton as an Assessor would be these: job security, fun and teamwork. The people who succeed here tend to be detail-oriented, have strong presentation skills, including public-speaking ability, are good with people, and are able to multi-task."
—Chris Hodgson, Assessor II

"There are many different traits that make a good Assessor but probably the most important is the ability to deal well with people. Every person on the Assessment Team requires good communication skills as Assessors are required to deal with the public, Council, other municipalities as well as our peers and co-workers. Assessors also need to be able to manage their time well and work independently."
—Deanne Bannerman, Assessor II