Campaign Platform

By Wayne Bannister

Detailed review of issues and problems associated with the Assessor Office and improvements to be made.

Access to information

Free and open access to information is the right of every property owner, and jurisdiction within the County. To limit or charge for access to information is not in the best interest of the public. County property owners should have access to property records from their home computers to see how the assessment was made, and be able to determine if they have a reasonable case for an appeal. Local jurisdictions- cities, districts, etc., -should be partners with the Assessor not advisories. Charges for data and restrictions on access, both sources of conflict with agencies, should be eliminated. Local jurisdictions should be business partners with the County in the assessment process.

Bureaucratic Waste

The Assessor must coordinate with other County departments involved in collecting property taxes. Other County departments play important roles in billing and collecting property taxes. The Registrar records deeds and ownership, the Assessor assigns property value, the Auditor Controller calculates the proper tax rate and the Tax Collector sends out the tax bill. Because of this process, these departments are not working off the same page. Their computers barely speak to each other. Hours upon hours of county staff time is wasted in trying to meet the disparate and incompatible requirements.

The lack of cooperation, compromise, and the failure to coordinate with other departments equals a waste in government. The result is lengthy delays in tax billing when properties change hands and costs increase. Los Angeles County is approximately 2.5 times larger than Orange County, but our budget is four times the amount to assess property. Individuals in the Orange County Assessors Office are twice as productive as the Los Angeles County staff based on net local roll per employee (State Board of Equalization Report dated June 11, 1999).

Slow Response to Natural Disaster and Economic Distress

Inefficiency in the Assessor's Office surfaced in the public eye when property owners lost value after the 1992 riots, Northridge earthquake, and the real estate downturn of the early and mid 1990s. The system did not respond quickly to provide tax relief to distressed property owners. In fact, the Assessor developed a two-year backlog of appeals cases, resulting in 25,000 victims charged an unadjusted rate and penalties. While residents tried to rebuild earthquake-damaged properties, the Assessor's help in realigning tax bills was too little, too late. Too often those who lost value for economic reasons spent months trying to get their tax bills adjusted.

Outdated Computer Systems

The Los Angeles Assessor's computer systems --used for tracking property values and calculating property taxes are outdated and poorly designed. According to the State Board of Equalization, they have the distinction of being "the least user friendly of any computer system in the State". A Grand Jury Audit and a subsequent state report have echoed these problems. In their own words, the Assessor's staff called the computer system "an obstacle to overcome" in identifying and valuing property.

The slow system and coordination failure spell lengthy delays in tax billing when properties change hands. When properties are sold, the Assessor must adjust the property value to the new market value. Delays in sending out supplemental bills to new owners result in late tax payments. Delays mean lost interest revenues. This is a multi-million dollar problem.

What reforms will I bring?

As Assessor, I will modernize the computer systems serving the Assessor's Office. As an experienced County Manager, I have overseen the development of computer systems that allow county departments to work with each other. My office has built computer systems that run the County's Emergency Operations Center; these systems provides real-time information when the County recovers from an emergency. We have built computer systems that run the county's multi-billion dollar budgeting process; compatibility with computer systems in other county departments has been built in.

As Assessor, I will change the attitude of the Assessor's office from separtism to cooperation with other county departments. As a County Manager within the Chief Administrative Office, I have been involved in projects for almost every county department. I have worked directly with other county departments. I have demonstrated concern for the diverse population that makes up the County and the need for fair and equitable treatment to all of its' residents regardless of economic or social status. In my work, there is no room for egotism. Making the county work better for every resident is my number one concern.

As Assessor, I will save the county money. I have a proven record of planning and implementing revenue recovery projects for the county. As County Manager, I have initiated and carried out projects, saving the county millions of dollars. I initiated an internal sales tax audit, which recovers millions every year. I initiated the revenue recovery project, which brings the county millions in state funds to pay for health coverage and public health needs. I have proposed reforms in county purchasing which would save the county $10 million a year. These creative reforms are now in the process of becoming reality.

I am a modern and creative manager who knows how to make the county work more efficiently and save taxpayers money. I have a proven record responding to emergencies, and will apply myself to making the Assessor's office responsive to emergencies. I have a proven record of working with disparate county departments and building consensus among them. For the Census 2000, I have coordinated with every city in the collection and administration of population data for this extremely important program.