EDITORIAL: Vince Robb, Contra Costa County assessor candidate, answers Bay Area News Group's primary questionnaire
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Ahead of the June primary election, the Bay Area News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates for Contra Costa County assessor. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and clarity.
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Name: Vince RobbCurrent job title: Assistant county assessor of Contra Costa CountyDate of birth: December 1, 1982
Political party affiliation: N/AOther political positions held: NoneCity where you reside: Pacheco
What are the top three problems you're seeking to solve if elected assessor?
1. Improving the public image of the assessor and the assessor's office and repairing/strengthening the relationships/partnerships between the assessor's office and other county and city agencies, departments, boards and councils
2. Modernize the systems and processes of not just the assessor's office, but also work in collaboration with the auditor-controller and treasurer-tax collector on updating and modernizing the entirety of the property tax systems in Contra Costa County
3. Further education for and of the residents of the county on the duties of the assessor, how assessments are done and what exemptions and exclusions are available for the taxpayers
Why are you uniquely qualified to address the three problems you've identified above?
As assistant county assessor I have already begun repairing the image of the office and have led with integrity, transparency and merit. I oversaw our recent audit by the state that returned a near perfect survey score of our processes and assessments. Having worked in or overseen every division and function of the assessor's office, I have the unique knowledge, skills and abilities to modernize and improve the processes and systems of the office. I have been educating the public and training the staff to educate the public on what the assessor does and how assessments work for years.
What differentiates you from your competitors for this seat? - 20-plus years experience in the assessor's office - Only candidate with an appraiser license - Only candidate to ever actually do an appraisal/assessment - Only candidate thoroughly familiar with the rules and laws that govern property taxes and assessments - Only candidate thoroughly familiar with the property tax exemptions and exclusions that taxpayers may or may not qualify for - Only candidate familiar with assessor's mapping, parcel maps and inventorying and classification of land and improvements - Only candidate to oversee an audit by the State of California of the assessor's office
What did Gus Kramer do right as assessor? - Gus made the office more responsive, accessible and public service focused. - Gus followed the law when it came to proactively reviewing and lowering assessments across the county during the Great Recession and the State of California has consistently given our office exemplary reviews for accuracy in assessments during his tenure. - Gus was one of the first assessors in the state to bring in a Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal system for appraising residential property which sped up the appraisal of residential property and streamlined processing of residential assessments. The same CAMA system is now used by multiple counties in the state.
What did Gus Kramer do wrong as assessor? - Gus has, at times, gotten himself in situations that have affected public trust, and has occasionally limited his ability to lead. - Gus has, at times, not maintained mutually beneficial relationships/partnerships with the members of the Board of Supervisors and other electeds, councils, boards and county departments. - Gus has made the office a bit more political than it probably should be. Historically, the assessor's office was not so political and was focused on just fairly and accurately inventorying and assessing all property in the county. That's how it should be.
Who are the three biggest contributors to your campaign? Why are they donating to your campaign?
I have more than three maximum contributors. A list of them is available on my public filing. They are donating to my campaign because they want an assessor who has experience in the appraisal field and is knowledgeable of all the duties and functions of the assessor's office. They also want consistency from the office so they know what to expect and they want someone who is public service oriented and accessible in case they ever need to reach out with questions and/or concerns about their property or assessments. I've been providing this type of service for 20-plus years.
Please tell us anything about you that would help inform our judgment of your candidacy.
I am a public service and fiscally minded operational thinker. I make decisions based on what is best for the operation of office, taking into account what is best for the residents of the county and the employees of the office, while staying within the confines of the law and being fiscally responsible. I am also a dad and a volunteer in the community, specifically as a volunteer coach of my kids' sports teams.
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