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Primary Election • May 19, 2026
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Fair, accurate, assessments should be non-political. It’s basically data collection, math and statistical analysis. The Assessor’s work depends on three interdependent pillars: People, Systems, Data. In 2020, each of these were unstable. The instability was inherited from the prior administration affecting all three pillars. Reforms were needed to stabilize all three. The controversy and disruption were a response, in part, to the reforms.
Controversy erupted in the fall of 2021 (before the 2022 election cycle) when the Chief Deputy (only 5 months into her job) rallied with a core group of appraisers (former colleagues) and formed a plan to unseat me. In April of 2022, the Chief Deputy and the group initiated an executive session with the Commissioners to unseat me and they published their anecdotal complaints in the press threatening they’d quit, which could jeopardize operations. Four years later most still work in the Assessor’s Office; a few have retired.
Change is difficult, especially when people have invested years holding an unstable system together. But the changes were necessary. Reforms meant changes to the core group of employees. It was a culture shock resulting in fear, apprehension, misunderstanding, polarization and resistance through an internal campaign against me.
My inquiries and my proposed reforms, as an outsider, threatened the staff’s “norm.” The tragic passing away of the previous Assessor was a huge loss that shook their world. As an outsider, I was seen as one more change amid many others including rapid growth, public COVID shutdowns, political and national riots and unrest and much uncertainty.
The reforms also meant making processes and methodology changes to enhance uniformity. Over the years, residential property owners have shouldered a greater share in paying property taxes primarily due to legislative changes – but processes and methodology have an impact, too. Housing is no longer affordable. By redressing inequities through process changes and easing the residential tax burden, the reforms were a threat to the interests of some local community leaders who wanted to preserve the status quo.
Things got political. Opposition followed a pattern of attack and discredit taking the hard line against me.
The 2022 internal campaign against me caused tremendous internal disruption in the operations.
Allegations against me were, and are, false. There’s been no “fallout”. The reforms are working.
First, things have settled down.
The Assessor’s Office is a great place to work, and we have an amazing team.
We have a lot of dedicated, long-term employees (≥ 6+ years) who have the proper skills and competence, and most importantly, their hearts are in the right place. Their experience is valuable in getting the work done and we needed their help to transfer their knowledge on to the newer personnel. Most of these long-term employees are also Baby Boomers with an eye on their deserved retirement in the not-too-distant future.
Next, we have a good mix of newer employees (< 6 years). What these employees bring their willingness to learn from the more experienced while also bringing their technological savvy and offering a willingness to innovate and automate and a fresh look from new perspective and new insights.
We need both the experience and the new perspectives.
From the start, my approach and my intent have been to show respect for the past and especially the dedication of long-term staff, and to balance that with a realism for the present to face the hard issues, while also promoting a vision with optimism and hope for the future. My belief is that this is what will unite us – dedication to our core mission and a vision on how to accomplish that mission.
Looking back, I recognize that my direct approach was not seen by some (especially the long-term employees) in the way that I intended.
In the span of 2.5 short years (i.e., from June 2020 through 2022 – which felt very long), the department has gone through a very difficult and turbulent time of instability. In the heat of that battle, I was direct in my questioning. I asked staff: “What works?” “What doesn’t work?” “What are your needs?” “How can I help?” and the big one, “Why do we do it that way?” In hindsight, I see that these questions can be perceived as threatening.
In the campaign year of 2022, I was open and transparent about operational issues and needed fixes. I did that to gain community and Commissioner support to make the needed changes, which required resources and funding. Some employees likely saw such openness and transparency as a betrayal. That was not my intention.
In 2022 after I won the November general election, I apologized to those who were offended, and I maintain that apology even now and without reservation – because I sincerely recognize that change is difficult. But the fact is we were in a difficult situation in 2020-2022, and we needed to act by facing the realities of the current situation.
Project Sympatico is well underway, it will be a huge benefit to the Assessor, to the Treasurer and to the County. It will stabilize all three pillars of the Assessor’s Office -Systems, People and Data. It is Phase 1, of a multi-phased effort.
I am running for re-election to finish the work of stabilizing all three pillars of the Assessor’s Office. I respectfully ask for your vote on May 19, 2026.