Assessor
Election Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Vicki Horton (R) | 81,892 | 56.60% |
| Ralph Baker (R) | 62,788 | 43.40% |
* Race percentages are calculated with data from the Secretary of State's Office, which omits write-in votes from its calculations when there are too few to affect the outcome. The Spokane County Auditor's Office may have slightly different percentages than are reflected here because its figures include any write-in votes.
The Candidates
Vicki Horton
- Party:
- Republican
- Age:
- 69
- City:
- Spokane, Washington
- Occupation:
- Spokane County assessor
VICKI HORTON
Education: Graduated from Kenai High School in Kenai, Alaska in 1972. Attended Feather River College in California and Sacramento Community College, but did not earn a degree.
Work experience: Elected Spokane County Assessor in 2010. Appraiser in Spokane County Assessor’s Office, 2000-2010. Previously worked as chief deputy appraiser and sheriff’s dispatcher in Clearwater County, Idaho.
Political experience: Horton’s 2010 run for assessor was her first run at public office.
Family: Married. Five adult children.
Complete Coverage
New assessor to replace chief deputy with appraiser
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 Assessor Ralph Baker, whom Horton defeated with nearly 56.7 percent of the vote in the Nov. 2 general election.
Voters vent frustrations with GOP gains in county, state
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 counting against Republican Michael Baumgartner, but he said it was too little to make a difference.
E-mail, signs accuse Mager falsely
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 any knowledge of the e-mail Thursday afternoon.
Spokane County assessor race
Incumbent Ralph Baker faces a challenge from one of his own appraisers, Vicki Horton, who accuses him of mismanagement.
Panel clears assessor’s employee of leave complaint
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 an investigation by a committee of Spokane County officials from outside the assessor’s office.
Assessor discusses recovery from eye cancer
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 a Plexiglas prosthesis. Children and dogs notice, but most adults don’t, Baker said Monday.
Assessor’s budget includes cost of aerial photography of buildings
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 series of budget meetings with department heads. “The budget’s good.”
Candidate sues another over contract
Spokane County assessor candidate Sadie Charlene Cooney is suing prosecutor candidate Frank Malone for alleged failure to pay an $81,077 debt. The dispute springs from a contract in which Malone purchased the law firm of Cooney’s late husband, Joseph M. Cooney.
Editorial: Baker proves he’s worth retaining in assessor post
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 in the primary election makes them hard to ignore. The rivals have lodged mostly anecdotal complaints about matters ranging from inconsistent training approaches to the inability of citizens to get direct answers.
Spokane County assessor
Ralph Baker Personal: 57. 18-year resident. Married. No children.
Six candidates vie for county assessor
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 used to belong to another of Baker’s five opponents, former Assessor Sadie Charlene Cooney.
Spokane County assessor candidates, issues
Ralph Baker Personal: 57. 18-year resident. Married. No children.
County assessor’s race has 6 candidates
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 used to belong to another of Baker’s five opponents, former Assessor Sadie Charlene Cooney.
70 percent of homes in county lose value
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 Ralph Baker believe the county’s overall tax base will shrink this year for the first time since 1974.
70 percent of Spokane County houses drop in value
Nearly 70 percent of the houses in Spokane County have declined in value, according to notices that homeowners began receiving Wednesday.