Los Angeles CountyCandidate for Assessor

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors formally commended Assessor Jeffrey Prang today for pioneering innovation in assessment administration and for working to provide excellence in service to the public – the combination of which has resulted in the Office of the Assessor earning the highest accreditation.

“Congratulations to Assessor Jeffrey Prang and the Office of the Assessor for this tremendous accomplishment,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis. “The IAAO Certificate of Excellence is a reflection on the entire County family and the work we do on behalf of our constituents. This award recognizes the County’s shared commitment to the highest standard of public service.”

The Certificate of Excellence in Assessment Administration (CEAA) was presented to the Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office on September 27th by the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO), making it the first and only jurisdiction in California to receive this prestigious award. “I am proud to accept this commendation on behalf of the more than 1,300 employees who make up the Assessor’s Office,” said Assessor Prang. “I especially want to thank the Board of Supervisors and the Chief Executive Office for supporting our ongoing efforts to make this the premier property assessment agency in the nation.”

The CEAA is awarded only to agencies which integrate best appraisal and administration practices and meet the highest professional standards as established by the IAAO. More than an award, it is an accreditation that serves as the benchmark for measuring success. Worldwide, a mere 41 jurisdictions have earned this distinction out of over 18,000.

During Prang’s tenure as Assessor, the Office has been recognized by a range of other organizations, including Government Technology magazine, the National Association of Counties, and Los Angeles County’s Quality and Productivity Commission.

LOS ANGELES, CA – Los Angeles County Assessor Jeffrey Prang today released the 2017 Annual Report. This report reflects strong economic growth and a record setting increase in the assessed values of all taxable real property and business personal property in the County of Los Angeles. The report includes an updated ranking of the County’s 88 cities, including the highest valued cities and those with the highest percentage change from the prior year.

“The 2017 Annual Report helps the public easily access information about the Office of the Assessor, including how property values in each area of the County changed during the last year,” said Assessor Jeffrey Prang. “The diligent work of Assessor staff serves as the foundation of the property tax system which generates over $13.5 billion in revenues relied upon by the 35 departments of the County, 88 cities, 81 school districts, and numerous special districts.”

The 2017 Assessment Roll provides a comprehensive view of the strength of the Los Angeles County real estate market. It reveals that in the last year, every city in Los Angeles County recorded an increase in assessed valuation compared to 2016. “I am pleased to report that the 6.04% increase in assessed property values in Los Angeles County represents the seventh consecutive year of growth,” Assessor Prang stated. The net assessed value (excluding non-profit, homeowners’, and disabled veterans exemptions as well as other State exemptions) is $1.416 trillion – $80.6 billion greater than in 2016.

The top five highest valued cities for 2017 are: Los Angeles, with an assessed valuation of $568 billion – a 6.6% increase; Long Beach, with an assessed valuation of $54.0 billion – a 5.0% increase; Santa Monica, with an assessed valuation of $34.4 billion – a 3.8% increase; Beverly Hills, with an assessed value of $31.9 billion – a 9.1% increase; and Santa Clarita, with an assessed value of $30.7 billion – a 7.1% increase.

The three fastest growing cities in the County in 2017 were El Segundo at 11.6% growth, Hawaiian Gardens at 10.9%, and Avalon at 9.3%. Among other factors, this growth is attributed to a strong real estate market and increasing demand for new, multi-family, residential properties.

The Annual Report provides information to the public, including the role of the Assessor’s Office in the property tax system, tax savings for property owners, and important calendar dates. The Report also contains an update on progress which has been made in modernizing technology systems to enhance efficiency and better serve the public, and the recent international accreditation of the Assessor’s Office as the first and only assessment agency in the State of California to be awarded the Certificate of Excellence in Assessment Administration from the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO).

About the Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office

Los Angeles County Assessor Jeffrey Prang leads the largest local governmental assessment agency in the nation. His office of over 1300 appraisers and support staff are dedicated to creating an accurate and timely property assessment roll each year. In 2017, the Assessor’s Office established values for more than 2.56 million properties, totaling a valuation of $1.474 trillion. 

The Assessor is responsible for identifying and appraising taxable real estate and business property in the County of Los Angeles and producing an annual assessment roll. These efforts serve as the foundation for a property tax system which generates $14 billion to fund vital local public services such as education, health care, public safety, parks, libraries, and transportation. The Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office is the nation’s largest public assessment agency, employing 1400 appraisers and support staff across seven offices. Each year, these expert teams value more than 2.56 million properties collectively valued at $1.47 trillion. This is the largest local roll in the state, if not the country.

Assessor Jeffrey Prang’s primary initiative has been modernizing the outdated technologies which are used on a daily basis, thereby ensuring maximum efficiency, fairness, and accuracy in the assessment process. Obsolete, decades-old systems, including a mainframe computer and flickering green-screens, are being replaced. The old system was paper-based and inflexible, as well as inefficient for staff and difficult for the public to navigate. Over 2.5 million property records that were still in paper files and housed in one of six locations are now digitized –more than 100 million documents in all!

A new mobile application has also been developed for appraisers in the field, allowing them to access property data, retrieve digital records, sketch diagrams, take photos, and instantly perform functions previously done by hand at a desk. Once complete, this project will likely become the new state standard for assessment technology.

Small businesses with as little as $2000 worth of furniture and equipment were previously required to report these assets and pay property taxes. Yet processing these assessments cost the Assessor twice as much as was generated in taxes. To ease the burden on small businesses and at the same time increase efficiency for Assessor staff, the Board of Supervisors approved Assessor Prang’s proposal to raise the threshold for reporting business property from $2000 to $5000. Among the benefits was tax relief for an estimated 50,000 small businesses.

In the course of routine functions, the Assessor’s Office collects vast amounts of real estate and assessment data, which are also of interest to the public. Assessor Prang led efforts to post an unprecedented amount of property information to Los Angeles County’s Open Data portal, increasing transparency and access to public records. Property data is now available in an easy-to-use format and can be downloaded – free of charge.

Assessor Prang is committed to ensuring that the all qualified property owners in Los Angeles County benefit from tax-saving programs. Working in partnership with other agencies and organizations, the Assessor’s Office promotes various programs throughout the year, including those that help seniors, veterans, the disabled, and disaster victims. Resource seminars and information sessions hosted in different communities across the County also ensure that property owners are well-informed.

Property owners adversely affected by natural disasters such as fires, floods, and earthquakes may be entitled to property tax relief if damage exceeds $10,000 in market value. Unfortunately, current state laws limit tax relief to those impacted by natural disasters and fail to adequately address damages caused by man-made disasters. Examples include the Aliso Canyon methane leak and the (Exide) lead contamination in Southeast communities. Assessor Prang sponsored state legislation to expand the needed discretion to offer affected property owners relief. Although the bill was vetoed by the Governor, it served to reveal a deficiency in the law that must still be addressed – and for which Assessor Prang will continue to fight.

The property tax system is complex and can seem confusing to many, particularly as five separate departments are responsible for different phases of the process. To cut through the confusion and address taxpayer inquiries quickly and efficiently, Assessor Prang joined with the Treasurer and Tax Collector and the Auditor-Controller to open the one-stop public service counter for handling all property tax issues in one convenient location. Over 50,000 taxpayers have already utilized this service without fear of being referred from one agency to another, or being told, “It’s not my job.” Public concerns are all addressed at one time, in one place!

Taxpayers who disagree with the assessment of their property have the right to file an appeal. However, with approximately 20,000 new applications filed annually, nearly 40,000 cases are still awaiting a hearing. Assessor Prang understands that processing these appeals in a timely manner is vital to ensuring that property owners receive fair and speedy resolution. He has prioritized eliminating the backlog, producing clear and measurable results during his first term.

Assessor Prang led the efforts to roll back a special, temporary tax break for aircraft, which had been given to the airline industry in the wake of 9/11. But as Americans once again turned to air travel, producing record profits for the airlines, there was no longer a need for preferential tax treatment. Assessor Prang successfully opposed extending the special tax break given to these airlines and helped to restore nearly $10 million in annual revenue for schools and vital local public services.

Some owners of mobile homes have exploited a loophole allowing for the conversion of their mobile homes into permanent structures while avoiding paying property tax. The Los Angeles Times exposed one such non-mobile mansion that sold for $5.3 million, yet a mere $29 was paid in fees.

Assessor Prang sponsored legislation to close this loophole, stating “All property must be assessed by the same standards to ensure fairness and equity.” Though the bill was not adopted, it began a public dialogue, prompting the Times to editorialize in support of Assessor Prang’s effort to close the loophole.

In September 2017, the Assessor’s Office was awarded the Certificate of Excellence in Assessment Administration (CEAA) by the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO) for meeting the highest possible standards. The CEAA is the most prestigious professional honor for a public assessment agency, and Los Angeles is the first and only county in California to have earned it.

In addition to the CEAA accreditation, Assessor Prang’s technology modernization initiative has been recognized by the National Association of Counties (NACo), the Los Angeles County Quality and Productivity Commission, and Government Technology magazine.