Platform

By Jeffrey Prang

Councilmember Jeffrey Prang has served on the West Hollywood City Council since 1997, including 4 terms as Mayor. Jeff has enacted progressive policies that shaped West Hollywood into a model city with a national reputation for excellence. Under his leadership, West Hollywood remains one of the only cities in the State of California with an AAA bond rating, a strong budget surplus that invests significantly in infrastructure, public safety, and the welfare of its residents. As a professional public administrator, Jeff served for the past two years in the reform administration in the Assessor's Office, charged with helping to restore integrity to the agency which was rocked by scandal when the elected Assessor was charged with political corruption.

It is vital that the next Assessor have the experience and skills as a public administrator necessary to manage the many complex functions of this important public agency. The Assessor represents over 10 million residents, manages a staff of 1,400, a budget of $150 million, and is responsible for establishing the value of all taxable property for property tax purposes. The Office assesses 2.5 million parcels annually for a total Assessment Roll value of $1.3 trillion.

Jeffrey Prang is the most experienced candidate for Assessor. He served in the Assessor's Office in the 1990s under Assessor Kenneth P. Hahn and in the current reform administration. His public administration portfolio includes service as Assistant City Manager, Senior Advisor the Sheriff, and Director of Public Information. He has completed a real estate appraisal training program and has earned a reputation for professional competency and integrity.

A PROVEN REFORMER

Jeffrey Prang has helped lead the efforts to reform the Assessor's Office following the political corruption scandal, orchestrating the departure of the indicted Assessor and his replacement with a reform administrator, which has stabilized the Office and embarked on an aggressive strategic plan for the future.

"When it became necessary to restore integrity and public confidence to the Assessor's office, Jeff Prang played a key role in helping the County lay the groundwork for cleaning house and bringing honest leadership to that troubled department. Jeff put the public interest first, and for that I am very grateful." - Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky

VISION: A PLAN OF ACTION

Jeff's priority will be restoring public trust in the Office. Taxpayers will be assessed fairly with the best public service. Taxpayers must be confident that they are not being taxed too much - and that no one receives preferential treatment. Jeff will enact strict policies to prevent future abuse. Jeff successfully advocated for the ban on campaign contributions from tax agents, and he will ensure that fair play standards are enforced.

The Assessor's Office must replace its antiquated computer systems. While the Office is information/technology driven, it remains dependent on a 1970's-era mainframe, green-screen system that requires COBOL programmers. A modern replacement is critical to increase efficiency and ensure that all available property tax revenue is being fairly and accurately collected and assessed to pay for our public services.

Increase in the minimum reporting level for business personal property from $2,000 to $10,000 will this change increase efficiency, reduce costs, and will relieve small businesses from time-consuming and costly reporting requirements.