Attorney Plans Run for Assessor’s Seat

Larry Matheney an assistant attorney in the county counsel’s office, has become the first to announce his candidacy for the Ventura County assessor’s seat.

Matheney, who took out nomination papers Wednesday, is bidding to fill a seat being vacated by retiring Assessor Glenn Gray.

Matheney, 51, has served as legal advisor to the assessor’s office among his other duties for the last 13 years. He seeks to modernize the office.

He pledges to cut down on paperwork and allow businesses to report their property by computer, while making property tax forms and up-to-date valuation information available through the Internet.

“Most people have better things to do with their time than taking trips to the Government Center just to get a piece of paper,” Matheney said.

Gray, 59, will retire after 36-years in county government.

Beginning as a trainee at age 23, he rose through the ranks before being appointed to the assessor’s post in 1993 after the death of his predecessor, Jerry Sanford.

Gray was elected by voters to a full four-year term in 1994, an admittedly stressful stint given dozens of assessment appeals after the Northridge earthquake. Recession-induced property value declines and an office staff decimated by years of county budget cuts only made matters worse, he said.

“After 36 years, it’s time to go on to do something else, play a little golf, enjoy some time with the grandkids, take the wife traveling,” Gray said Wednesday.

Gray’s announcement has enticed Simi Valley Mayor Greg Stratton to consider a bid for the seat.

Stratton said Wednesday he is leaning toward a run and will make a final decision by week’s end.

Stratton also faults Gray for not doing enough to modernize the office and said too often property owners and developers have confronted outdated property ownership lists when conducting research.

Stratton said it is time for some new blood in county government.

“My belief is the more people we can get in who are not currently embedded in the county methodology--people who can start to think outside the box--the more we can change the way the county does business,” Stratton said.