Clark County assessor race heats up
Despite being overshadowed by other high-profile regional electoral matchups, the race to replace retiring Clark County Assessor Linda Franklin still promised to substantially impact thousands of area homeowners, farms and businesses.
Appearing on primary ballots – the first of which were mailed to county voters Wednesday – are Republicans Peter Van Nortwick, Daniel Weaver, David Horowitz and Democrat Janet Seekins.
The two candidates drawing the most votes in the primary will face off in the Nov. 2 general election.
At stake is control of a department with 67 fulltime employees, an adopted 2009-10 budget of more than $13 million and plenty of challenges stemming from continued uncertainty in the commercial and residential real estate market.
In separate phone conversations with the VBJ, the candidates made their case for the $93,312-a-year position, with each aspirant for the office claiming to have the right mix of management and real estate assessment experience.
Horowitz, a veteran real estate developer, said he first considered a run after what he called a "lengthy" appeals process begun two years ago over the assessed value of his Rivershore Landing home.
"Though I finally got a hearing, it was clear that the appeals system wasn't working," said Horowitz, who added that his appeal had since been closed.
Another candidate, Daniel Weaver, a member of the county Board of Equalization – the body responsible for hearing property owner appeals – agreed that more could be done to make the process easier.
"For a majority of the cases, there was plenty the assessor's office could have done – such as talk to people – before we saw the appeals," Weaver said.
A former chief financial officer for Philadelphia-based Allied Security and Pinkerton Security in California, Weaver went on to criticize the management style at an assessor's office he said had not evolved much in the last 20 years.
"There has been little in the form of new ideas," he said. "That has to change."
Also promising to turn over a new leaf at the assessor's office was Van Nortwick, owner of American Commercial and Residential Appraisal in Vancouver.
Endorsed by Vancouver Mayor Tim Leavitt, Clark County Commissioner Marc Boldt and House Dist. 18 candidate Jon Russell, Van Nortwick said his first order of business if elected in November would be to freeze the combined county assessor/Geographic Information Services budget. "If I feel the need to cut staff, I will not hesitate to do so," he said.
That campaign pledge had candidate Janet Seekins, a 29-year veteran at the assessor's office, noting that 14 fulltime positions at the department had already been eliminated in the last 18 months.
"I'm not against cutting people if they think we can get our work done," Seekins said. "But I'm not sure we can do that."
Countering criticism regarding her perceived lack of management experience, Seekins said her almost three decades of service at the assessor's office, as well as a stint as co-owner of a Vancouver construction company, made her the best choice for Clark County Assessor.
"I've worked in every area of the office," she said. "I know it from the top on down."
Ballots for this year's primary must be received by the county elections office by 5 p.m. on Aug. 17.
