Assessor Reportedly Fires His Chief Deputy

Los Angeles County Assessor John J. Lynch, on the job less than a year, fired his chief deputy and former campaign manager Wednesday after a personality clash, sources at the county Hall of Administration said.

The chief deputy, Jack MacLean, had guided Lynch’s unusual rise to the assessor’s office last year. Lynch, a 14-year veteran of the lower ranks in the assessor’s office, was a longtime Republican volunteer in the San Fernando Valley who linked up with MacLean, another Republican activist, to claim an unexpected election victory.

But the sudden departure of MacLean on Wednesday came as no surprise to some county government veterans, who spoke on condition that they not be identified. They said that Lynch had become increasingly unhappy about MacLean’s visible role as chief deputy.

Lynch declined to comment Wednesday, and a special assistant to the assessor, Gil Eisner, would confirm only that MacLean had left the staff.

“Mr. Lynch had to do something, and he did it,” Eisner said. “(MacLean) will not be in the office anymore, effective immediately.”

MacLean could not be reached for comment.

As the elected assessor, Lynch is responsible for preparing the rolls that levy property taxes on homeowners and businesses. Lynch was a deputy assessor who worked on property appraisals before using his political experience to win the top job, with backing from other deputies.

Earlier this month, Lynch was accused of grabbing and physically assaulting a 15-year employee of the assessor’s staff who was helping negotiate a new labor contract for workers in the office.

Lynch denied the charge, but the county Civil Service Commission voted 3 to 1 to allow a hearing examiner to look further into the employee’s assertions.