What’s at stake in this race

Residential and business properties in Orange County are valued at over $850 billion. Taxes from those properties help fund county services like parks and the Sheriff’s Department. The assessor determines the taxable value of properties and who gets exemptions.

Claude Parrish has served as Orange County assessor since 2015, but his tenure has been marred by a workplace misconduct investigation that found he violated gender discrimination and retaliation policies and harassed a subordinate over her medical disability.

Janet Conklin, who is running to unseat him, is looking to become Orange County’s first female assessor.

What does the Orange County assessor do?

• Sets the taxable values of residential and commercial properties.
• Creates lists of all taxable property in the county, including business and personal property.
• Determines property tax exemptions.
• Keeps records of property ownership and tracks changes.

You might know the O.C. assessor from:

Tustin Hangar Fire: Parrish, who lives in Tustin, sent notices to 23,000 homes, asking them to turn in applications to have their homes revalued after the Tustin hangar fire. An LAist investigation mapped around 1,400 homes where debris was reported.

Tustin’s mayor, Austin Lumbard, lambasted the decision to send out the notices without notifying the city as it can cause “unnecessary alarm.” Cities rely on property taxes to fund local services such as parks.

Workplace investigation: LAist was the first to report about a workplace investigation that found Parrish violated gender discrimination and retaliation policies and harassed a subordinate over her medical disability. Parrish said at the time, "Nobody's more employee-friendly than me," later adding, "I'm not mean to anybody."

Here are some of the things the O.C. assessor doesn't do:

• The assessor does not set property tax rates or enforce tax collections.

What’s on the agenda for next term:

Airport Fire fallout: Orange County still is grappling with the fallout from the Airport Fire, which was sparked by Public Works employees. County officials have paid out around $70 million in settlements for damages and losses. Orange County is insured up to $30 million, so the rest will have to come from the government's coffers — meaning property taxes that residents and businesses pay.

What it takes to win:

If one candidate wins 50% plus one vote, he or she will be elected. If no candidate receives more than 50%, the top two finishers will compete in a runoff in the November general election.

The candidates

Claude Parrish, incumbent

In his own words

Why are you running for re-election?

“I like my job,” Parrish said in a phone interview, “and I think I am doing a good job, and I like it.”

What are some of your priorities if you are re-elected?

“Main priority is I am available, which is unusual for an elected official,” Parrish told LAist. “You call me and you got me, and that’s just about impossible. When I try to call congressmen, assemblymen, mayors, councilmen, I can never get them. But you got me right away.”

He added that he would like to give employees in the Assessor’s Office a wage increase.

“They don’t get enough money, and they didn’t raise the money for two years, and this is wrong,” he said. “I can’t take money out of my pocket and pay them.”

Parrish added that he would like to maintain the department’s standards and make sure property taxes do not go up by more than 2%.

What are some gaps that you are seeing? What is some work that still needs to be done at the O.C. Assessor’s Office?

“I don’t know about any gaps,” Parrish said.

More voter resources:

• Parrish does not have a campaign website

Go deeper: 

• OC investigation found elected assessor treated women as subservient, harassed employee over her disability (LAist)

Janet Conklin, city councilmember, small-business owner, Realtor

The daughter of Cambodian refugees, Conklin currently serves as a councilmember in La Palma. She has championed veterans programs during her time on the council, creating the Veterans Fair in La Palma. She also has paired veterans with mental health professionals to help them navigate complex trauma.

In her own words

What prompted you to run for assessor?

“I understand property valuation from every angle — as a broker, a business owner, a homeowner and a public servant,” Conklin wrote in an email. “On the City Council, I have a record of fighting for government accountability and transparency — something this current Assessor’s Office lacks.”

If elected, what are your priorities?

“I believe every Orange County resident deserves honesty, respect and access to clear, accurate information,” Conklin wrote to LAist. “That’s why I'm committed to modernizing the Assessor’s Office with upgraded technology, so the office is more accessible, efficient and user-friendly.

“As assessor, I'll ensure every homeowner and renter knows their rights. I'll guide families through Prop. 13 and Prop. 19 rules, helping them preserve their low tax bases and keep their homes.

“I'll protect homeowners and small businesses from unfair valuation spikes while expanding opportunities for middle-income families, younger buyers and first-time homeowners.

“I’ll also support exemptions for seniors, veterans and other vulnerable citizens. In Southern California, natural disasters are not a matter of if, they are a matter of when. When disaster strikes — like recent wildfires — I'll implement solutions proven in L.A. County: temporarily halting assessments of damaged properties, expediting reassessments for disaster victims and ensuring property tax bills reflect a home's reduced value after destruction.”

What are some gaps you have identified in how the department is currently run?

“After 10 years, our incumbent wastes taxpayer money on lawsuits, is combative rather than collaborative and doesn't believe in modernization,” Conklin wrote. “The office handles assessments through snail mail. I'll bring assessments online, cutting months of waiting to days and saving taxpayers’ money. The incumbent actively fights workforce housing, taxing middle-class apartments and threatening to displace renters. Meanwhile, Proposition 13 protects long-term homeowners from tax spikes — but only if they know their rights. Proposition 19 created a crisis: families inheriting homes face tax bills that can triple overnight. The incumbent has done nothing to educate homeowners about these protections. I want to make the Assessor’s Office a resource to the community.”

Why should people vote for you?

“I am running for county assessor to restore confidence in the operations of the office,” Conklin said in an email.

“Vote for me for positive change. I'm running for every family worried about rising costs and working to make their American dream a reality.”

More voter resources:

• Candidate website: janetforassessor.com
• Noteworthy endorsements: Congressman Derek Tran, state Treasurer Fiona Ma, Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva, O.C. Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento
• Full endorsements list here.

How to watchdog your local government

One of the best things you can do to hold officials accountable is pay attention. Your city council, board of supervisors, school board and more all hold public meetings that anybody can attend. These are times you can talk to your elected officials directly and hear about the policies they’re voting on that affect your community.

• Read tips on how to get involved.
• The Orange County Board of Supervisors meets on alternating Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. at 400 W. Civic Center Drive, Santa Ana. You can check out the O.C. Board of Supervisors full calendar here.
• Learn how to submit a public comment to the O.C. Board of Supervisors.