WEST HOLLYWOOD — Councilman Jeffery Prang officially announced his bid for candidacy for the position of Los Angeles County Assessor on November 27 for the June 2014 election.
The councilman, in addition to his duties on the West Hollywood City Council on which he has served since 1997, also works for the Office of the Assessor as a Special Assistant for Public Affairs.
The Office of the Assessor has had to deal with the fallout of the indictment of John Noguez, who faces several charges in connection to corruption allegations that involved the lowering of property taxes for favored individuals. In October, Noguez, along with tax consultant Ramin Salari, pleaded not guilty to new charges of grand theft and embezzlement.
Prang hopes to reform the office as the new Assessor, allowing the office to regain its reputation along with keeping up with new advances in technology.
“My top priority as Assessor will be to restore the reputation of this department as the finest and fairest public office in the nation, treating all property owners and taxpayers with dignity and respect while producing a fair and reliable Trillion-Dollar Assessment Roll based on Proposition 13 guidelines,” said Prang in a statement.
Councilman Prang told Canyon News in an email that he has so far retained the services of Nancy Dolan as a campaign consultant. “I do not anticipate making a final decision on who I shall engage to manage my campaign until after the first of the year,” he said.
The Office of the Assessor saw the appointment of Santos H. Kreimann as acting head of the office after former Assessor Noguez took a leave of absence in 2012. In August 2013, it was recommended to the city that Sharon Moller be appointed as Chief Deputy Assessor while Kreimann be transferred to an executive management position in the county’s Chief Executive Office.
