San Diego County property tax payments are expected to generate $7.6 billion in revenue this year. These funds will be used to support local schools and community colleges, hospitals, police and fire protection services, infrastructure, public transportation and other infrastructure.

Barbara is committed to making the Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk an organization that puts the taxpayer and the customer first.

EQUITY

Barbara will ensure that all properties are appraised at their fair value on a timely basis according to our current laws and that corporate property owners are paying a fair share.

TRANSPARENCY

Barbara will increase transparency and make the Assessor’s website easier to navigate.  She will work with and listen to community and business organizations so that their needs are met.

MODERNIZATION

Barbara will modernize the office of Assessor to better serve the public. That includes using new technology to better track and produce records and developing new tools to improve customer service in-person, on the phone and online.  

INTEGRITY

We can trust Barbara to hold herself to the highest ethical standards and always act in the public interest.

The former Chief Deputy for Information Systems at the San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk recently pleaded guilty to unlawfully recommending that his wife’s company be hired to work on county projects.

“We will learn more about this alleged unethical behavior, which may have gone undetected for years. I am furious that a county employee allegedly used his connections to essentially loot the public treasury and misuse OUR TAX DOLLARS for his own gain,” said Barbara.

She is demanding answers to these very important questions:

1) Was there a competitive, transparent and properly vetted process for these contracts?

2) How did this alleged theft of our tax dollars go undetected, and where were the “checks and balances” we expect from any well-run public agency?

3) What is the San Diego County ARCC office doing now, to uncover the extent of the alleged corruption, make sure any wrong doers are held responsible and put the right system in place to make sure it NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN?

Her track record as a business executive in the technology sector, her four years on the San Diego City Council where she called attention to the 101 Ash fiasco, and her experience as an investigative journalist have prepared her to restore credibility to this crucially important county office. She was also the first elected official to oppose SoccerCity because she realized it was a bad deal for San Diego. She stood up against a then popular Mayor and well-funded special interests who ran social media ads criticizing her and called her out specifically in public hearings for her stance. Barbara also created the Workplace Equity & Civility Initiative–recognizing that pay inequity and sexual harassment were important issues. It is now run by Lawyers Club of San Diego, the women’s bar association.