My Values

By John J. Griffin

Values that John J. Griffin carries into the job as Ventura County Assessor.

First, an Assessor must be fair. From my earliest days, as the eldest child in a large family it has been my role to resolve disputes. In my current job as a university professor, I am called upon to exercise fairness every time I assign a grade. It is a responsibility I willingly accept and apply with great care.

As your Assessor, I will act with fairness when it comes to the application of taxes, back-taxes, and penalties to non-profit organizations operating in Ventura County. This means that they will be treated the same, for property tax purposes, as they are treated by every other Assessor in California. These organizations are representative of the thousand points of light that do an enormous service to our communities. Taxing them out of existence is the last thing I want to do.

While fairness is the first of my core values, effectiveness is the second. Being effective means making the right decisions. Throughout my life I have placed a high importance on teamwork. I have learned that working as a team results in better decisions, especially when the team includes individuals with differing perspectives. As your Assessor, I will act in concert and as a team player, with other Assessors by not taxing non-profit organizations. I will take advantage of the other players on my team including the opinions of the State Board of Equalization, executive branch officers, legislators, and the courts.

Finally, I value efficiency. Efficiency is doing things right. Running an office with 130+ employees requires excellent management skills. I have acquired these through training and experience in a variety of professional positions including my work an attorney, engineer, business owner, and teacher. All require skills in the management of people, time, and resources. Technology is often a source for driving efficiency, but technology alone is just a part of process of efficient management. An excellent manager must have emotional intelligence, strong communication skills, and the good sense to introduce and implement appropriate technology in a manner that augments our natural abilities.

In conclusion, I am highly confident in my ability and eager to bring these values to the County Assessor's office. In bringing a new person into this important job, Ventura County residents will be getting a smart, innovative, and reasoned Assessor who is fair, effective, and efficient. I expect to report to you a marked improvement in our customer service and morale within one year of assuming these duties.

Thank-you for your support.