Jacobs Needs to Be Flexible

County Assessor Bradley L. Jacobs continues to dig his heels in and try to shift the blame that will come his way if his office is delayed in completing this year’s tax roll. He should be more flexible and willing to take sensible advice.

Jacobs had requested an extra $395,000 for his office to hire more people to get the county’s tax roll into shape. With assessments of property in the county now totaling nearly $180 billion, it’s an important job. Owners of homes and businesses don’t want to overpay taxes; the county and other municipal agencies don’t want to be underpaid. Equity demands a fair deal for all concerned.

But for a year Jacobs has refused to apply for a state loan that would let him hire more people. His argument is that because the Board of Supervisors cut his office budget after the 1994 bankruptcy, he has fewer workers, rendering him ineligible for the state loan.

Maybe. But why not apply and see if he’s right? If he is, that’s evidence that could persuade the supervisors to loosen the purse strings. If he’s wrong, there are millions of dollars coming into the county. If his office met efficiency targets, the loan would be converted into a grant.

But instead of seeking the loan, Jacobs asked the supervisors for more money in this year’s budget. When the supervisors declined the $395,000 he sought, he sent a starchy, ill-advised memo to them last week. Jacobs warned that some work on the tax roll would be delayed or perhaps not done at all, “and responsibility for this is with the Board of Supervisors.” Wrong.

Jacobs, who is elected, needs to learn to cooperate with other elected officials, such as the supervisors. Everyone shares the goal of having the assessor’s office run smoothly and efficiently. Pointing fingers will not improve things. Taking advice, such as applying for state assistance, will.