Spokane County Assessor

Randy Brandt talks about business and efficiency.

Sadie Charlene Cooney talks about good government and good service to the people who walk through her office doors.

Both candidates for Spokane County assessor talk about experience.

Brandt points to his real estate background, his law practice, technical experience and years of managing his own businesses.

Cooney points to her 35 years in the assessor’s office.

The assessor’s office appraises the value of commercial, residential and personal property. The assessor oversees 57 employees and a $2.5 million annual budget. The job pays $59,000 a year.

Cooney says it’s taken her six years to overcome antiquated systems and a backlog of unappraised property.

A recently released state auditor’s report applauds her office for dramatic improvement.

“I’m on a mission,” said Cooney.

But Brandt said that in the meantime, citizens have been deprived of tax revenue.

Brandt, who grew up in Spokane, has never run for political office before. He said he considered running for the assessor job in the past, but the timing wasn’t right.

“I’ve watched what was going on,” he said. “There clearly needs to be something done to get it organized and running efficiently.”

Cooney said that, plain and simple, the job is about hard work.

Cooney said the job requires someone with hands-on experience, familiar with the workings of government, the state Department of Revenue and the Legislature.

“This isn’t a political job, it is a working job, it is a task,” she said.