spokane county assessor leonard christian vs tom konis

“I want the increases that we are experiencing now not to be a surprise to them when they get the postcard in the mail. “I want to be out front telling people what the assessor’s office does,” Konis said. Konis said if elected he would improve staff training, explore new technology options to boost efficiency with property valuations and expand communication between the assessor’s office and residents. “And, I believe I’m the best candidate for that job.” “So, it’s not about going out and assessing a home … the assessor is managing all the folks who do that duty,” he said. The annual budget for the county assessor’s office more than $3 million. The assessor, Konis said, isn’t a “learn on-the-job” position because of many state and mandated requirements.Ĭhristian said it’s more important to have a managerial background like his, pointing to his experience as a state legislator, where he sat on the capital budget, government operations and oversight committees. He’s been employed with the Spokane County Assessor’s office for close to 25 years as an accredited residential and commercial appraiser

Konis said his technical knowledge of the job makes him the better candidate. “So, that’s something I’ll be focusing on is getting those records accurate.”īut the main difference highlight by the two candidates is experience. “We have some folks out there that have talked to me about their (assessments) and I think one of the things that drives a higher or lower assessment is that something is not accurate in the computer,” he said. “It’s definitely a significant increase.”Ĭhristian said it’s important that assessments are accurate. Because as a realtor, I’m currently out in the market and I’m not seeing a 17 percent increase currently in the market,” he said.

“On the commercial side, we are seeing a big influx of out-of-town buyers coming in and they are paying substantially more than we’ve seen before.”Ĭhristian said he’s also concerned about rise in property valuations after receiving a 17 percent increase on his home. I don’t know how young people could afford their first house,” Konis said. “I’m truly concerned with the way our escalating prices are.

Spokane County’s property valuations hit a record high at $49.7 billion this year and some homeowners saw double-digit increases in assessed values. The election is only a few months from when the assessor’s office notified property owners of significant property value increases.

Spokane county assessor leonard christian vs tom konis