Latest from The Spokesman-Review

• Property values fall for year two

  June 2, 2011 in City on Page A5 The silver lining in newly released Spokane County property values is that they didn’t decline as much as last year’s. The county’s overall assessed value fell for the second year … 26

• Audit of Spokane County assessor’s office finds late appraisals

  April 26, 2011 in City on Page A1 The Spokane County assessor’s office undervalued scores of properties for years, according to a state audit for 2008 and 2009. The report released Monday says new construction on 157 properties … 1

• Assessor office requests traced to ex-employee

  March 26, 2011 in City on Page A5 Anonymous requests for hundreds of thousands of Spokane County assessor’s records have been traced to a former employee. Appraiser Josh Bungen, who resigned Jan. 5, used untraceable Hotmail email addresses … 19

• New assessor to replace chief deputy with appraiser

  November 26, 2010 in City on Page A5 Vicki Horton says she’ll reorganize the Spokane County Assessor’s Office when she takes charge in January, but only Chief Deputy Assessor Kevin Best will be dismissed. Best was recruited by … 3

• Voters vent frustrations with GOP gains in county, state

  November 4, 2010 in City on Page A1 Democrat Chris Marr conceded defeat Wednesday night in the record-breaking million-dollar battle for a Spokane County state Senate seat. Marr made up some ground in the second day of ballot … 4

• E-mail, signs accuse Mager falsely

  October 29, 2010 in City on Page A6 An anonymous e-mail that began circulating this week falsely accuses Spokane County Commissioner Bonnie Mager of cheating on her taxes. Her election opponent, former Spokane City Councilman Al French, denied … 9

• Spokane County assessor race

  October 12, 2010 in City Incumbent Ralph Baker faces a challenge from one of his own appraisers, Vicki Horton, who accuses him of mismanagement. 4

• Panel clears assessor’s employee of leave complaint

  September 29, 2010 in City on Page A6 An assessor’s office employee’s complaint that a co-worker took unreported leave was unfounded, according to a report The Spokesman-Review obtained Tuesday. The report, released under a public disclosure request, documents … 3

• Assessor discusses recovery from eye cancer

  September 28, 2010 in City on Page A1 People who look closely might notice that one of Spokane County Assessor Ralph Baker’s eyes doesn’t move with the other. They might even figure out that his left eye is …

• Assessor’s budget includes cost of aerial photography of buildings

  September 9, 2010 in City on Page A6 Spokane County commissioners can only hope that Assessor Ralph Baker is a trendsetter in budget discussions as well as technology. “I’m OK,” Baker told commissioners Wednesday as they began a … 1

• Editorial: Baker proves he’s worth retaining in assessor post

  August 3, 2010 in Opinion on Page A11 We’ve been hearing a lot about low morale and ineffective leadership in the Spokane County Assessor’s Office. Assessor Ralph Baker discounts the accusations, but the crowded field of five challengers … 60

• Six candidates vie for county assessor

  July 31, 2010 in City on Page A13 Spokane County Assessor Ralph Baker has more challengers than a bear has fleas – and he picked up one of them, appraiser Vicki Horton, in his own den. The den … 1

• Spokane County assessor

  July 31, 2010 in City on Page A13 Ralph Baker Personal: 57. 18-year resident. Married. No children. 3

• Spokane County assessor candidates, issues

  July 24, 2010 in City on Page B3 Ralph Baker Personal: 57. 18-year resident. Married. No children. 13

• County assessor’s race has 6 candidates

  July 24, 2010 in City on Page B3 Spokane County Assessor Ralph Baker has more challengers than a bear has fleas – and he picked up one of them, appraiser Vicki Horton, in his own den. The den … 5

• 70 percent of homes in county lose value

  June 3, 2010 in City on Page A1 Nearly 70 percent of the houses in Spokane County have declined in value, according to notices that homeowners began receiving Wednesday. Chief Deputy Assessor Kevin Best said he and Assessor … 13

• 70 percent of Spokane County houses drop in value

  June 2, 2010 in City Nearly 70 percent of the houses in Spokane County have declined in value, according to notices that homeowners began receiving Wednesday. 7

• Treasurer’s office hours extended for property tax payments

  April 30, 2010 in City on Page A8 The Spokane County treasurer’s office will restore full office hours today for last-minute property tax payments.

• City real estate agent files run for Spokane County assessor

  April 30, 2010 in City on Page A9 A municipal real estate agent and apocalyptic author is the latest candidate hoping to unseat Spokane County Assessor Ralph Baker. Terry L. Cook, 62, registered his Republican candidacy with the … 32

• Spokane County assessor buys ad in his defense

    March 11, 2010 in City on Page A5 A two-year-old whistle-blower investigation in the Spokane County assessor’s office is getting new attention. Assessor Ralph Baker plans to say in a newspaper advertisement Friday that several recent KREM television … 9

• Short-handed assessor wants help from above

  January 13, 2010 in City on Page A1 Spokane County residents may want to avoid backyard sunbathing in April. That’s when county Assessor Ralph Baker wants to take a series of high-resolution, low-altitude aerial photographs that promise to … 9

• Appeal revives timber fight

  April 30, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page S1 Spokane County Assessor Ralph Baker will have a rematch in June with property owner Bob Webb, who successfully appealed Baker’s decision to correct a 30-year-old assessor’s office mistake at Webb’s …

• Assessor parses a tax bill

  March 12, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page V1 When 8-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon wanted to know whether there was a Santa Claus in 1897, she turned to the New York Sun. “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus,” reporter …

• Corpses, sleaze and gridlock – it’s time for summer fun

  July 10, 2007 in City on Page B1 The other day a press release arrived asking me to publish a list of ways to keep kids busy during the summer. Tip 1: “Have them build a kite or …