I’m running for County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk because I believe there is an opportunity to improve and modernize this critical office that so often flies under the radar. Updating technology and outdated processes will ensure that everyone, including big corporations, will pay their fair share of property taxes under the law. The stakes are high, since this revenue source funds education, mental health initiatives, projects to fight homelessness, and other important programs that bolster our region and serve our most vulnerable residents.

This is also an office that needs new leadership – especially when it comes to issues regarding ethics and technology. The former head of technology has pleaded guilty to funneling contracts to his wife’s company. Other issues on this front include:

• The office has struggled for several years to implement what is called an integrated property tax management system to streamline the appraisal to collection process and ensure that valuable revenue isn’t slipping through the cracks.
• Residents are sent to a third-party website to conduct property searches, and they pay a fee after a certain number of searches. In Los Angeles, this is all done in-house for free.
• The website is hard to use and desperately needs to be updated.
• The County has a disjointed process for collecting information on new building permits and the completion of new construction. This makes it difficult to update the property tax rolls on a timely basis.

My background as an executive and high-tech entrepreneur for over 30 years has prepared me to address these issues and lead this office which has an annual budget of $76 million and 400 employees. I pledge to examine how we can streamline access to birth, marriage and death certificates. I will also perform a top to bottom audit of the office to ensure that the highest ethics are upheld and that there are no more contracts without a vetted government process.

I will always stand up for San Diegans to ensure their voices are heard. As the first elected official to call for an independent investigation of both the 101 Ash Street scandal and the Public Utilities Department’s water bill overcharging fiasco, I have a proven record of asking the tough questions to identify government waste and to ensure taxpayer dollars are well spent.

I hope to earn your vote. If you have any questions, you can reach me at info@barbarabry.com or (858) 248-9465.

With gratitude,

Barbara Bry