Low Appraisals for the Assessor

* Re “Board to Assessor: Take State Aid or Take Pay Cut,” Feb. 11:

Orange County taxpayers are being underserved and overtaxed. Our assessor of the past two decades has fallen behind in his elected duty to fairly assess the taxpayers of the county and refuses to seek outside help to deal with this problem.

Even during the tight budgeting of the bankruptcy, he refused to apply for nearly $28 million in state assistance funds, though continually asking for more money from the already depleted county coffers.

He has stated that the funding cannot be used because the state has set efficiency guidelines which he cannot meet. Isn’t “efficiency” part of the job he was elected to do? Or did we elect another bureaucrat?

In fact, this funding can be tapped to assist the appraisal of property and the appeals process so taxpayers can return to their lives without taking time off work to get a fair assessment. Additionally, this will help county agencies, schools and cities regain lost revenue.

Regardless of the board’s decision to cut his pay, or to publicly censure him, it is already too late for the cities, schools and taxpayers or Orange County. We have lost to the tune of $28 million and counting.

JEFF SCOTT REID

Lake Forest

* As a taxpayer in Orange County, I worry that Assessor Bradley L. Jacobs’ ego has gotten in the way of his good sense.

His determination not to listen to the pleas of the Board of Supervisors and apply for $6.8 million in funding from the state of California seems to be a personal battle that will cost the taxpayers money if, after two years, appeals that have not been decided will automatically be awarded against the county.

His excuse of being concerned the funding will not be converted into grant funds sounded viable at first. However, as a physicist by trade, and a mathematician by inclination, even Jacobs cannot ignore the statistics: 100% of the 44 counties in the state who applied for the funding were awarded grants.

I support the Board of Supervisors in their desire to cut Jacobs’ $100,000 per year salary in half should he win the next election. Personally, I would prefer it if he not run at all.

DIANE BARRETT

Santa Ana