Online Courses

Serving the public, honoring the voters’ directives, and complying with federal, state, and local property tax laws require accurately accounting for all collections in the county tax office. Maintaining professional and courteous customer service is challenging when ensuring these vital responsibilities are completed in a timely manner, while also correctly monitoring the county’s tax revenue and preparing the required reports. This course is designed to guide participants in the essential functions of the county tax office. Upon completion, participants will earn two (2) hours of continuing education credit from the V.G. Young Institute of County Government, a part of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. A certificate of completion will be available after successfully completing the course material.

County budgets can be complicated but provide for county services for citizens. What goes into budget planning, and how is that impacted by providing services to other taxing entities? Tax Assessor-Collectors and their staffs will understand the basic responsibilities of a budget officer, recognize the procedures for planning a budget and identify the fees, expenses, and methods of collecting costs for providing services. Upon completion of the course, participants will earn one hour of continuing education credit from the V.G. Young Institute of County Government, a part of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. A certificate of completion will be available after successfully completing the course material. This course has been approved for CE credit by the Tax Assessor-Collectors Association of Texas.

The county tax office serves almost every resident of their county – every property owner, every auto owner, and many others. Providing effective customer service to all taxpayers promotes the public’s trust in the tax office as the first point of contact for the taxing entities they serve. Participants in this course will recognize effective customer service strategies, apply effective customer service strategies to challenging situations, and choose an effective customer service strategy when things have gone wrong in a customer interaction. One hour of continuing education will be offered upon completion.

This module is designed for anyone working with the general public and has been approved by the Texas State Association for Fire and Emergency Districts (SAFE-D) for one hour of continuing education credit. Participants will review the basics of ethics and receive guidance to base decisions upon when faced with ethical issues. Included in the course are myths of ethics, steps for ethical decision making and ethical mistakes to avoid. Upon completion of the course, participants will have the option to download or print a certificate, and the V.G. Young Institute of County Government will report the course completion to SAFE-D.

This course is designed for anyone working with the general public and has been approved by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) for one continuing education credit. Participants will review the basics of ethics and receive guidance to base decisions upon when faced with ethical issues. Included in the course are myths of ethics, steps for ethical decision making and ethical mistakes to avoid. The Property Tax Assistance Division of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts has approved this course for all property tax professionals who have a continuing education mandate. For reporting purposes, enter TDLR registration number when enrolling.

County Tax Assessor-Collectors, Deputies and their staff must continuously work to promote an ethical environment in the county tax office to avoid negative perceptions. This course defines ethics, reviews basic terms, ethical conduct and consequences of unethical behavior. Upon completion of the course, participants will earn one hour of continuing education credit from the V.G. Young Institute of County Government, a part of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. A certificate of completion will be available after successfully completing the course material.

Employers and supervisors are tasked with keeping their organization in compliance with employment laws. This can be a challenge as different employees have different various needs, and sifting through legal requirements related to employment can be complex and confusing. Designed for the general public, this course provides an overview of Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), and sexual harassment. Employers need to know what the laws provide for covered employees, the rights and obligations of employers, and tools to bring any organization into compliance. Upon completion of the course, participants will earn one (1) hour of continuing education credit from the V.G. Young Institute of County Government, a part of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. A certificate of completion will be available after successfully completing the course material.

Price: $30.00  |  Enroll Now

The Family and Medical Leave Act can be difficult to administer. Employee situations can vary greatly and FMLA laws change frequently. Designed for the general public, this course provides an overview of the FMLA; the roles and responsibilities of both, employers and employees; military leave and FMLA enforcement. Upon completion of the course, participants will earn one hour of continuing education credit from the V.G. Young Institute of County Government, a part of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. A certificate of completion will be available after successfully completing the course material. This course has been approved for CE credit by the Tax Assessor-Collectors Association of Texas.

Fraudulent Filings is a self-directed course designed for district and county clerks in Texas. This course meets requirements for clerks needing one (1) hour of continuing education on fraudulent court documents and fraudulent document filings. Participants will review codes and definitions of fraud and understand the role of the clerk regarding fraudulent documents. Participants are responsible for reporting course completion to the County and District Clerks Association of Texas.

Price: $30.00  |  Enroll Now

County Tax Assessor-Collectors have responsibilities related to tax liens for manufactured homes. Additionally, there are multiple scenarios and forms required for the titling and registration of boats in Texas. After this course, TACs and their staffs will be able to describe the duties and requirements associated with recording and releasing tax liens for manufactured homes, and responsibilities related to issuing boat registrations and titling. A certificate of completion for one hour of continuing education credit awarded by the V.G. Young Institute of County Government, a part of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, will be available after successfully completing the course material. This course is approved for CE credit by the Tax Assessor-Collectors Association of Texas.

The County Tax Assessor-Collector is responsible for collecting and reporting motor vehicle sales tax to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. They also register motor vehicles, issues license plates, registration stickers, and titles for motor vehicles. This course will help the Tax Assessor-Collector understand the duties for collecting motor vehicle sales tax, duties for remitting motor vehicle sales tax to the Comptroller, bonding requirements, procedures for retaining the annual commission, and records retention policies for documents related to these duties. A certificate of completion for one hour of continuing education credit awarded by the V.G. Young Institute of County Government, a part of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, will be available after successfully completing the course material. This course is approved for CE credit by the Tax Assessor-Collectors Association of Texas.

Congratulations to the newly elected and recently appointed! The New County Tax Assessor-Collector & Chief Deputy Orientation Course is approved by the Tax Assessor-Collectors Association of Texas for two hours of continuing education, and if successfully completed within ninety days of taking office, this course satisfies the requirement to complete constitutional and statutory training.

This course is designed to help supervisors and managers understand key components of personnel management. Topics examined include employer/employee communication, personnel policies, legal concerns, and best practices related to hiring, performance appraisals, disciplinary actions, and termination.

Did you know that email, internet posts, instant messages and text messages are all subject to open records requests? Do you know how to handle a request if you receive one? When is it safe to destroy certain records? This basic course in records management will help County Tax Assessor-Collectors and their staff members understand public information requests, rights of requestors, responsibilities of response to such requests, and the records management duties of the county tax office. A certificate of completion for one hour of continuing education credit awarded by the V.G. Young Institute of County Government, a part of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, will be available after successfully completing the course material. This course is approved for CE credit by the Tax Assessor-Collectors Association of Texas.

Registry of the Court is a self-directed course designed for District and County Clerks in Texas. This one hour online course for District and County Clerks in Texas provides information on their roles and responsibilities regarding registry of the court to receive payments and other funds ordered paid by the court. This course meets continuing education requirements for District and County Clerks as required by Section 51.605(c), Texas Government Code. Participants are responsible for reporting course completion to the County and District Clerks Association of Texas.

Price: $30.00  |  Enroll Now

This course will touch on Special Inventory penalties, fines, and budget funds. It will also cover the similarities and differences between the four types of Special Inventory.  Upon completion of this course, you will be able to: define Special Inventory Tax, differentiate between the types of Special Inventory, and understand penalties, fines, and budget funds.  This course is eligible for 2.0 CEU hours through the Tax Assessors-Collectors Association of Texas (TACA) and Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).

Price: $45.00  |  Enroll Now

Elected and appointed government officials are required by state law to receive training in Texas open government laws within 90 days of taking their oath of office. The V.G. Young Institute of County Government, a part of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, offers this online training course which has been approved by Texas Attorney General’s Office to meet the mandate. This course helps ensure all elected and appointed officials have a good command of Texas’ open meetings laws. Please print the certificate of completion at the end of the course to prove your participation.

This one hour online continuing education course covers the 7 tenets of the Code of Ethics and Sections 94.70, 94.71, 94.72 and 94.73 of the Property Tax Administrative Rules. Additionally, it provides case studies to help illustrate the standards. The course has been approved by the Property Tax Assistance Division of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts for all property tax professionals.
NOTE: Tax Assessor-Collectors need to complete the following ethics course specific to their office: Ethics for County Tax Assessor-Collectors.

The County Tax Assessor-Collector (TAC) is by statute the registrar of voters. How do TACs implement their duties? What are the restrictions on funds available for defraying elections costs? Upon the completion of this course, Tax Assessor-Collectors and their staffs will be able to describe TAC duties for voter registration, understand the purpose and procedures for using and reporting of Chapter 19 funds, list items that can and cannot be requested under Chapter 19, and discuss all elections code sections relevant to managing Chapter 19 funds. A certificate of completion for one (1) hour of continuing education credit, awarded by the V.G. Young Institute of County Government, a part of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, will be available after successfully completing the course material. This course is approved for CE credit by the Tax Assessor-Collectors Association of Texas.