No bad blood in assessor race

Libertarian John Gessner is running for Kootenai County assessor not because he has any qualms with the incumbent or any big ideas for change.

He just doesn’t like any candidate to run unopposed, so he is challenging Republican Assessor Mike McDowell, elected in 2002 after serving as chief deputy for nearly two decades.

“I’m a big believer there should be two candidates,” Gessner said. “I think Mike’s a great guy.”

Yet he does think he can manage the office and its 62 employees better.

A primary duty of the county assessor is to ensure that all 81,000 properties in Kootenai County are assessed at fair market value. Property values are used to calculate property tax bills. The office also tracks ownerships and maps for all these properties, manages tax exemptions, and maintains a database of property records. In addition, the assessor oversees the county’s vehicle licensing and title services, with offices in Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene.

Gessner wants to reduce the department’s $3.3 million budget. Yet his priority is creating an online clearinghouse for information on the individual taxing districts in Kootenai County, from local school districts to highway districts. He said all those districts spent property tax dollars and that there should be one place where taxpayers can go to get a report on how budgeting decisions are made.

A self-proclaimed “techno geek,” Gessner said he has the skills to create such a Web site and that he and the staff could keep it updated.

McDowell thinks Gessner has a valid idea but questions how the assessor’s staff could ever keep up with posting information on the various taxing districts. “We barely have the staff to keep up with new construction,” he said.

Even if Gessner loses the race, he vows to work with McDowell to find some way to make his idea reality.

McDowell said his priorities are to continue improvements to customer service and offer a well-trained staff. The office recently converted to a new computer system, and McDowell wants to oversee the remaining details, such as the ability to offer more information to the public via the Internet.

Even though the assessor’s office and county don’t oversee Idaho’s property tax system, McDowell has lobbied for changes that would give homeowners property tax relief. He applauds state legislators for making changes during the August special session that brought relief to homeowners and businesses. Yet he acknowledges more work is needed, especially to help long-term residents who bought their homes before skyrocketing real estate prices.

McDowell supports a proposal to freeze property tax increases for people who have owned their homes for more than 15 years.

Gessner also acknowledges the need for property tax relief and would support a proposal to give long-term homeowners exemptions.