Appraising Her Credibility
If credibility is the fuel that drives elected officials, Spokane County Assessor Charlene Cooney is out of gas. Other elected officials, school districts, local budget writers and property owners say Cooney has made several promises she hasn’t kept.
Here is rundown of what she has said and what actually has happened:
What she said: Appointed to the job in September 1992, Cooney was in the midst of a massive revaluation system setting new market values for all 180,000 tax parcels in the county. There was uneasiness about the result and its impact on taxes. Still, Cooney promised as late as July 1993 that 1994 property taxes would increase 10 percent to 14 percent.
The county spent $40,000 on a public relations campaign to get that message out. The assurance lulled many homeowners into not filing appeals of their new home values, which must be done within 30 days, even though some said later they were uncomfortable with the market price placed on their homes by county appraisers.
What happened: Taxes on the typical home increased more than 20 percent, and many bills climbed 60 percent or higher. Homeowners, who had lost their right to appeal the values, felt betrayed, saying they had called Cooney’s office and had been given what turned out to be an incorrect estimate of the property tax increase.
“I was really, really, really irked that they lied to me,” one woman told The Spokesman-Review in April 1994 after her taxes had increased 70 percent.
What she said: In a September 1993 letter to The Spokesman-Review, Cooney promised to keep people informed about the operations of her office. “In my 29 years as an employee in the office, it seemed the people were not properly informed as they should have been,” she wrote.
What happened: Today, Cooney has barred reporters from talking directly with her appraisal staff unless she is present. County commissioners as well as school district budget writers have been frustrated in attempts to obtain correct information.
What she said: In early 1994, Cooney said she had set a strict deadline for finishing revaluation of commercial property and her books would be closed by the end of October.
What happened: The office didn’t even come close to the deadline, and appraisers still were double-checking figures and doing fieldwork in December. Some values were changed just minutes before the April 30 deadline for paying first-half 1995 property taxes.
What she said: When primary election opponent Rick Mendoza, an employee in the office, accused Cooney of withholding the commercial notices until after the November 1994 election, Cooney was livid. She said the delay was needed to assure accuracy and because changes had been made in notices to make them easier to read.
“Election or no election, I’d rather have things right,” she said last August.
What happened: Despite the delay in mailing out revaluation notices, some still were inaccurate, including some large downtown parcels.
What she said: In December, when city and county budget staff members inquired about the large number of valuation appeals filed by commercial property owners, Cooney assured them the values would stand and they could base their 1995 budgets on the figures. “She was very confident there was not a problem,” recalled county Commissioner Skip Chilberg.
What happened: Some of the values set by the office for some of Spokane’s largest tax parcels were grossly inaccurate. Now, those who set budgets for the city, county and Spokane School District 81 are left with deficits and possible program cuts.