David Boyer wants to be SLO County's new assessor. Here's where he stands on the issues

David Boyer is running for San Luis Obispo County assessor to bring a new generation of leadership to the office.

Boyer, 44, once worked for his opponent, 16-year incumbent Tom Bordonaro Jr.

Although he never aspired to run for public office, it was his time as an appraiser in the Assessor's Office that prompted him to seek his old boss' job.

"It troubled me that an elected official would run for re-election without ever showing up," Boyer said during a recent candidate forum.

Boyer claimed Bordonaro rarely shows up for work, which has hurt the office's efficiency. Management positions have ballooned, and the office has not completed its annual workload on time for years, he said.

If Boyer were elected assessor, he said he wants to speed up tax assessments, reduce the number of management positions and even interact with taxpayers at the office counter.

"I thank Tom for his 16 years, but it is time for new leadership," Boyer said.

Boyer — who left the Assessor's Office to work as a county building inspector in February — grew up near Salinas and earned a bachelor's degree in architecture from UC Berkeley.

He worked in the architecture and construction industries throughout California before moving to Templeton in 2005 to be closer to family members living in the area.

Boyer and his wife, Aurelie, a medical laboratory technician, are parents to a 3-year-old son.

The Tribune sent Boyer a questionnaire asking his position on key issues facing the Assessor's Office. Here are some of his edited responses:

On the issues

Explain the job of an assessor.

The Assessor’s Office determines the value of the property your property tax bills are based on.

Property assessed by the assessor includes real estate, business equipment, aircraft and boats and more. The Assessor’s Office is also responsible for tracking ownership and maintaining assessor maps.

The role of the assessor is to be the taxpayers’ representative in the office, tasked with ensuring that taxpayers are well-served both in terms of issues related to their assessments and also that the office is well-managed on their behalf. Managing the office well means ensuring the work of the office is performed in a timely fashion, within a budget mindful of taxpayers, and that taxpayers are treated fairly, respectfully, and in a consistent manner. It is also the role of the assessor to guide the culture of the office in terms of setting expectations and priorities.

Why are you equipped to fulfill the demands of the job?

My knowledge of the office, passion for public service, and personal work ethic make me well-equipped to fulfill the demands of being assessor.

As a licensed architect, building contractor, and former business owner, I possess the experience of a professional tasked with identifying and resolving issues, of setting and meeting goals and leading a team — expertise I believe would improve morale and get the Assessor’s Office back on track. As a deputy assessor and certified advanced appraiser, my knowledge of assessment practices will allow me to hit the ground running.

Why do you want to become the county's next assessor?

I want to become the county’s next assessor because there is a critical need for leadership in the office, now more than ever. Several of the office’s most seasoned staff members have either retired or are near retirement.

Over the five years I worked there, the effect these retirements had on the office was apparent — an office in decline. When I began to picture where this was headed, I felt a duty, as someone with a knowledge of the office, to step up and run.

What would you hope to accomplish during the next four years?

Overseeing this generational hand-off between staff members is certainly something I will be faced with in the next four years and something I will make sure is dealt with proactively and successfully accomplished.

What's the most important issue facing the Assessor's Office?

The most important issue facing the Assessor’s Office is its ability to serve taxpayers in the future. It’s an office in transition.

I have mentioned the challenge faced by the office as it elevates a new generation of employees, but there is also a transformation taking place in how the office goes about doing its work.

I am referring to the office transitioning to a paperless work flow. Nearly every work-flow process in place in the office today is deeply rooted in paper, and this transition is going to fundamentally challenge the way we go about doing our jobs. Work-flow processes which developed over several decades will need to be replaced within a few short years.

Campaign finance

Boyer's campaign has raised about $5,800 in monetary and non-monetary contributions since January, according to campaign disclosure statements.

Loans have been Boyer's primary source of funding — he's lent himself $31,000 during the course of his campaign.

Boyer had about $1,500 in the bank as of April 21.

This story was originally published May 19, 2018 at 11:01 AM with the headline "David Boyer wants to be SLO County's new assessor. Here's where he stands on the issues."