League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Los Angeles County, CA June 3, 2014 Election
	Brilliant Edward Manyere Answers Questions Candidate for Assessor; County of Los Angeles

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. What steps would you take to reduce the possibility of favoritism or corruption when reassessing property in Los Angeles County?

a.) I plan to manage the department using a team approach. The members will set aside personal goals and focus on the County goal. I will communicate the goal of assessing properties fairly and make sure it is understood. Other expectations are addressed to each member. I will make sure that he or she understands his or her role. I will hold each member accountable on those expectations. In the event of violations I will use the Los Angeles County disciplinary action, which is objective, fair, and reasonable.

b.) I will lead by example and not intervene on opinion of valuation issues. I will appoint a tax payer advocate, who will tell taxpayers with concerns of property values their rights to appeal. Any taxpayer who comes to me would be referred to the regional office or tax payer advocate.

c.) On each appraisal, the appraiser would be required to explain the reasons and rational of the opinion of value. Appraisers would not change any value without a supervisor or other upper level manager's approval. All value changes will require authorized signatures by various management levels depending on the magnitude of the valuation. The highest level to approve changes in value would be the assistant assessor.

d.) An appraiser will not be assigned to work on properties where there is conflict of interest such as appraising one's own property or properties owned by family members or close friends.

e.) I will offer a reward to whistle blowers.

f) I will post the County Auditor's fraud hotline in places that the public can see.

g.) I will conduct a management audit if there is any sign of tempering.

h.) I will put security enhancements in the new computer system such as a smart system that will alert the appraiser's supervisor and managers when there is a violation of procedures.

i) I will continue to provide ethics training. The training will help staff understand that corruption damages the reputation of the Assessor's Office as well as the appraisers and other staff.

2. Should the Assessor's Office be audited more frequently?

a.) The Assessor is responsible for preventing fraud or corruption among the staff. It is his or her duty to make sure that the taxpayer rights are not being violated. An audit whether it is internal such as County Audits or Management audits: or external from the State Board of Equalization is an effective tool that the Assessor can use to prevent misconduct.

b.) The frequency of audits is necessary and a warning to appraisers that if they are involved in misconduct they will get caught. Additionally audits help determine that an appraiser is not biased towards a particular tax payer

c.) Audits assure taxpayers that the assessments are fair and are being done honestly and with integrity. Audits shed light that the appraisals are consistent and conform to the rules and regulations of the State Board of equalization

d.) Overtime as the audits continue to be conducted, but revealing no violations the property tax payers will eventually trust that the Assessor Department is fair.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' answers are presented as submitted.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: April 10, 2014 13:45
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