Humboldt County’s current assessor, Howard LaHaie, is retiring after just one four-year term in office, leaving his elected position up for grabs this year, and two folks have thrown their hats in the ring: 

• Audrey Hanks: The current deputy assessor-valuation, Hanks has worked in the Humboldt County Assessor’s Office for the past 23 years.
• Ben Larson: A mortgage loan officer, Larson has worked in the banking industry, in one capacity or another, for the past 24 years.

County assessors are charged with appraising the value of all property within their jurisdiction. That includes not just real property such as land and buildings but also personal property like business equipment, boats and planes. They maintain ownership records and prepare the annual assessment roll — a master list of taxable property values — which then gets sent along to the Auditor-Controller’s Office.

It’s a real number-cruncher’s job, in other words, one that demands and rewards attention to detail as well as clear communication with the public. 

While the Outpost has yet to connect with Hanks, we did receive an email from LaHaie, who described his deputy as “an excellent appraiser and leader with innovative ideas.”

He offered a full-throated endorsement of her ability to succeed him as county assessor. 

“I know she is committed to serving the community well, while continuing to implement new ideas to make our work more efficient to better serve Humboldt County’s residents,” LaHaie said. “She is more than ready for the job, and I am fully supportive in her running for Assessor.”

In a brief phone conversation this afternoon, Larson said that in his various positions in residential mortgage lending and commercial lending, he’s worked with the Assessor’s Office on various property tax matters on clients’ behalf over the years. 

“I considered becoming a residential and commercial appraiser but elected to stay on the lending side,” he said.

Larson has only reached out to the Assessor’s Office when he’s trying to help a client resolve an issue. Sometimes a client will be confused by a letter they received in the mail or a supplemental tax bill. Other times they’ll wonder why a property they’ve owned for more than a year hasn’t been assessed.

If elected, Larson said he’d work to shorten the turn time on reassessments upon property sales as well as clearer communication with supplemental tax bills and changes of ownership.

“I have a ton of experience in real world — 14 years in the Humboldt Association of Realtors,” he said. “I know a lot of real estate and banking people in the community and a lot of the working-class folks, and I hope I can represent them and bring about whatever changes are possible in a four-year term.”