Current Contra Costa County Assessor Gus Kramer has my endorsement for reelection. Kramer is a colorful person who has generated some controversy, but he has clearly looked out for Richmond in many ways while drawing a near perfect evaluation of the Assessor’s Office from the State of California. Kramer has provided excellent service for over 15 years, including providing fair and accurate value assessments for the property owners of Contra Costa County and being a model of excellence in customer service.
Kramer exposed companies that charge homeowners a fee for a property reevaluation -  a service his office provides free to all County residents.  He also called for the County to halt its billion-dollar business with large bank corporations that refuse loan modifications for homeowners.

In 2009, Kramer’s appraisal of the Chevron Refinery was appealed by Chevron during a time of record Chevron profits. A three-person panel from the Contra Costa County Assessment Appeals Board reduced Kramer’s assessment, costing Richmond and Contra Costa County taxpayers millions. One of Kramers’s challengers, Bob Brooks, served on that panel and is no friend of Richmond or any other taxpayer in Contra  Costa County. See Chevron Prevails in Refinery Property Tax Appeal, September 4, 2009.

The stakes are high because Chevron could receive a refund of an additional $50 million or more if the board lowers the assessment. Brooks is seen as a friend of Big Oil.

The other two challengers, Ross Butler and John T. Nejedly, are nice people but have no experience to qualify them for the office. There is certainly no indication that they could do a better job than Gus Kramer.

Websites of the candidates are as follows:
Bob Brooks http://www.bobbrooksforassessor.com/
Ross Erin Butler http://www.butlerforassessor.com/
Gus S. Kramer (i) http://www.guskramerassessor.com/
John T. Nejedly http://www.johnnejedly.com/