1 00:00:00,633 --> 00:00:02,002 ♪♪ 2 00:00:02,702 --> 00:00:06,306 -King County Assessor. The King County Assessor 3 00:00:06,306 --> 00:00:09,976 oversees the assessment of residential and commercial 4 00:00:09,976 --> 00:00:12,979 properties in King County, as well as personal 5 00:00:12,979 --> 00:00:14,914 property used by businesses. 6 00:00:14,914 --> 00:00:18,385 These values are used to calculate property taxes 7 00:00:18,385 --> 00:00:21,788 and to calculate property tax levy rates for King 8 00:00:21,788 --> 00:00:23,590 County taxing districts. 9 00:00:23,590 --> 00:00:26,326 The assessor serves a four-year term. 10 00:00:26,326 --> 00:00:30,263 All voters in King County are eligible to vote in this race. 11 00:00:31,931 --> 00:00:34,267 -Hello, my name is Rob Foxcurran, and I'm running 12 00:00:34,267 --> 00:00:35,635 for King County Assessor. 13 00:00:35,635 --> 00:00:36,369 I grew up here. 14 00:00:36,369 --> 00:00:38,405 I graduated from Seattle Public Schools 15 00:00:38,405 --> 00:00:39,973 before graduating from the UW. 16 00:00:39,973 --> 00:00:42,609 Today, my wife and I live on Beacon Hill in Seattle with 17 00:00:42,609 --> 00:00:45,512 our soon-to-be two daughters, who I'm proud to say are both 18 00:00:45,512 --> 00:00:47,247 sixth-generation Seattleites. 19 00:00:47,247 --> 00:00:48,648 This is home. 20 00:00:48,648 --> 00:00:50,850 Now, whether you rent or own your home, 21 00:00:50,850 --> 00:00:52,786 costs keep rising, and property taxes 22 00:00:52,786 --> 00:00:54,387 are a part of that story. 23 00:00:54,387 --> 00:00:55,955 The assessor doesn't set tax rates, 24 00:00:55,955 --> 00:00:58,992 but they do determine the value of every property in the county. 25 00:00:58,992 --> 00:01:01,494 Those values shape what you pay. 26 00:01:01,494 --> 00:01:02,862 That's why I'm running. 27 00:01:02,862 --> 00:01:05,265 This is a technical office that requires real 28 00:01:05,265 --> 00:01:06,566 expertise to run well. 29 00:01:06,566 --> 00:01:08,234 I may not be an elected politician, 30 00:01:08,234 --> 00:01:11,071 but I am an expert and proven leader in my field. 31 00:01:11,071 --> 00:01:13,406 I'm the only candidate and progressive in this race 32 00:01:13,406 --> 00:01:15,675 that has spent over a decade as a certified general 33 00:01:15,675 --> 00:01:16,876 real estate appraiser. 34 00:01:16,876 --> 00:01:19,646 I currently serve as the City of Seattle's senior appraiser, 35 00:01:19,646 --> 00:01:22,182 where I'm also a shop steward with PROTEC17. 36 00:01:22,182 --> 00:01:25,085 For the past three years, I also served as a hearing examiner 37 00:01:25,085 --> 00:01:27,487 on the King County Board of Appeals and Equalization. 38 00:01:27,487 --> 00:01:30,890 That's where folks go to appeal their property's assessed value. 39 00:01:30,890 --> 00:01:32,525 There, I watched corporate landowners 40 00:01:32,525 --> 00:01:35,462 pay teams of consultants to help slash their tax bills. 41 00:01:35,462 --> 00:01:37,797 I've seen the system from every seat at the table. 42 00:01:37,797 --> 00:01:40,567 I know where it works, and I know where it falls short. 43 00:01:40,567 --> 00:01:42,368 King County currently ranks near the bottom nationally 44 00:01:42,368 --> 00:01:44,304 in commercial property tax fairness. 45 00:01:44,304 --> 00:01:46,506 When the wealthiest corporations don't pay their share, 46 00:01:46,506 --> 00:01:49,409 that burden shifts directly onto your shoulders. 47 00:01:49,409 --> 00:01:51,845 We need a professional to balance these scales. 48 00:01:51,845 --> 00:01:55,248 My plan for real affordability includes three core shifts. 49 00:01:55,248 --> 00:01:56,816 First, we need modernized payments. 50 00:01:56,816 --> 00:01:58,251 I will fight for monthly payment options 51 00:01:58,251 --> 00:02:00,386 so families can actually budget. 52 00:02:00,386 --> 00:02:02,255 Second, we need to expand the county's efforts 53 00:02:02,255 --> 00:02:04,858 in signing seniors, veterans, and neighbors with disabilities 54 00:02:04,858 --> 00:02:08,061 up for the exemption programs they are already qualified for. 55 00:02:08,061 --> 00:02:11,064 And third, I'm pushing for a universal homestead exemption. 56 00:02:11,064 --> 00:02:12,031 What does that mean? 57 00:02:12,031 --> 00:02:15,335 It means that a portion of your primary residence, your home, 58 00:02:15,335 --> 00:02:17,036 is exempt from property taxes. 59 00:02:17,036 --> 00:02:18,104 Why does that matter? 60 00:02:18,104 --> 00:02:20,006 Because we're in the middle of a housing crisis 61 00:02:20,006 --> 00:02:21,908 and an affordability crisis, and no one should 62 00:02:21,908 --> 00:02:24,310 ever be taxed out of their own neighborhood. 63 00:02:24,310 --> 00:02:26,946 I'm Rob Foxcurran, candidate for King County Assessor, and 64 00:02:26,946 --> 00:02:29,449 I would be honored to earn your support in our effort to 65 00:02:29,449 --> 00:02:31,184 prioritize people over property. 66 00:02:31,184 --> 00:02:31,751 Thank you. 67 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:36,022 -I'm Dominique Scarimbolo, and I'm running for 68 00:02:36,022 --> 00:02:37,390 King County Assessor. 69 00:02:38,525 --> 00:02:42,428 You should be able to understand how your property was assessed. 70 00:02:42,428 --> 00:02:44,831 You should be able to ask questions and 71 00:02:44,831 --> 00:02:46,332 receive clear answers. 72 00:02:46,332 --> 00:02:48,635 And when you challenge government, you deserve 73 00:02:48,635 --> 00:02:51,037 to be treated as an equal, not as though government 74 00:02:51,037 --> 00:02:54,474 is automatically right and you are automatically wrong 75 00:02:54,474 --> 00:02:56,142 until you prove otherwise. 76 00:02:56,142 --> 00:02:58,878 That is not the culture taxpayers deserve and it is 77 00:02:58,878 --> 00:03:00,513 not the government we pay for. 78 00:03:01,514 --> 00:03:05,351 You deserve an assessor willing to acknowledge when the system 79 00:03:05,351 --> 00:03:08,421 isn't working as it should, someone willing to question 80 00:03:08,421 --> 00:03:10,690 the status quo, measure whether assessments 81 00:03:10,690 --> 00:03:13,426 are actually producing fair and uniform results, 82 00:03:13,426 --> 00:03:16,229 and make meaningful changes when they aren't. 83 00:03:17,330 --> 00:03:21,234 Government should be judged by the results, not intentions. 84 00:03:21,234 --> 00:03:23,303 You deserve transparency. 85 00:03:23,303 --> 00:03:27,373 You deserve meaningful due process, timely appeals, 86 00:03:27,373 --> 00:03:30,510 consistent standards, and an assessment system that 87 00:03:30,510 --> 00:03:32,579 answers to the people it serves. 88 00:03:32,579 --> 00:03:36,549 But most importantly, you deserve leadership. 89 00:03:37,217 --> 00:03:40,420 The elected assessor isn't simply another appraiser. 90 00:03:40,420 --> 00:03:43,523 The assessor leads an entire department responsible 91 00:03:43,523 --> 00:03:46,326 for a system affecting every property 92 00:03:46,326 --> 00:03:48,895 owner throughout our county. 93 00:03:48,895 --> 00:03:52,298 That requires someone willing to provide real oversight, 94 00:03:52,298 --> 00:03:57,503 demand accountability, listen to taxpayers and fight for reform. 95 00:03:57,503 --> 00:03:59,739 Some changes can be made directly within the 96 00:03:59,739 --> 00:04:02,242 assessor's office, others require cooperation 97 00:04:02,242 --> 00:04:04,944 from the county or state, and some require 98 00:04:04,944 --> 00:04:06,379 changes to state law. 99 00:04:07,046 --> 00:04:09,449 I am willing to fight wherever we need it. 100 00:04:10,483 --> 00:04:13,419 My campaign isn't about making minor adjustments 101 00:04:13,419 --> 00:04:14,454 to the status quo. 102 00:04:14,454 --> 00:04:17,957 It's about meaningful, system-wide reforms that protect 103 00:04:17,957 --> 00:04:21,995 taxpayers, strengthen property rights and help ensure people 104 00:04:21,995 --> 00:04:24,163 aren't taxed out of their homes. 105 00:04:24,163 --> 00:04:25,999 You deserve change. 106 00:04:25,999 --> 00:04:29,269 You deserve an assessor who answers to you.