GENERAL ELECTION GUIDE: Lyon County Assessor

ERIC OW-WING

Party: Democrat

Mailing Address: 15 Maple Dr, Yerington, NV 89447

Telephone: 775-463-1827

E-mail: eowwing@gmail.com

Explain your background and how this qualifies you for the position you are seeking.

I have worked in the Lyon County Assessor's Office for 15 years, with the last two years as the supervising appraiser. I graduated from University of California Berkeley in 1978 with my degree in political science. I attended Golden Gate University School of Law. My work background includes restaurant management and retail management. I also served as lodge manager/guide for R.L. Winston's Diamond O Fly Fishing Ranch.

The role of the assessor has changed in recent years and requires an involved, knowledgeable individual with excellent computer, analytical, managerial, and communication skills in addition to the energy necessary to put those skills to use. I am very adept with computers and understand how to extract information from databases and analyze the results with spreadsheets and graphs. My background in restaurant and retail management gives me the tools and expertise to manage the assessor's office. I enjoy speaking in public and learned this skill from rhetoric classes in college as well as litigation classes in law school. My communication skills and customer service experience allow me to handle any taxpayer situation that may arise. Most importantly, I have the health and energy to accomplish all of these tasks.

What are the most important issues that you would address if elected?

The job of the assessor is to insure fair and equal treatment regarding valuation of land and improvements for each and every taxpayer in the county. It is purely an administrative position that does not have a role in policy decisions. Therefore, my political affiliation has no bearing on any decision I make. I must treat all taxpayers as equally as possible as outlined by the Nevada Revised Statutes and the Nevada Administrative Code. One issue that all county assessors will try address is the inequality of the current tax cap. With separate 3% and 8% tax caps, the current system cannot avoid treating taxpayers unequally.

With the current economic situation and the loss of staff, the assessor must do more than ever before. I will maintain my workload as an appraiser while taking on the additional duties of the assessor as I have been doing for the last two years. My accessibility by the public has never been (as evidenced by my work record) nor ever will be questioned. If my name is on the front door, you will find me in my office. I feel that the assessor's office would be a reflection of me and I take that responsibility seriously.

Why should voters choose you over other candidate?

Since being promoted to the position of supervising appraiser two years ago, I have had on-the-job training to fill the role of assessor. During that time, I have represented Lyon County at the Nevada Tax Commission, the Nevada State Board of Equalization, the State of Nevada Department of Assessment Standards Ratio Study and Performance Review, the Lyon County Board of Equalization, the Nevada Assessors' Association Conferences, and Advanced Data Systems (the county software provider). I have been assigned to the Legislative Committee for the Assessors' Association as well as three other committees. I have appeared at various area advisory boards as well as the Fernley City Council. As a result, I have established numerous personal relationships with legislators, commissioners of various boards, assessors and state employees that will assist me in accomplishing my tasks as county assessor.

I was promoted by retired Assessor Mike Glass whose goal was to leave the assessor's office in capable hands to insure success in the future. My education, work experience and energy make me the best candidate for office of Lyon County Assessor. I would be proud to earn your vote in the coming election.

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LINDA WHALIN

Party: Republican

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3 Yerington, Nevada 89447

Telephone:775-463-4905

E-mail: whalinassessor@yahoo.com

Explain your background and how this qualifies you for the position you are seeking.

I have been a resident of Lyon County and worked in the assessor's office for 27 years and I am a Nevada State Certified Real Property Appraiser. I have worked in all areas of appraisal, personal property, special property, commercial property, agricultural property, and land valuation.

What are the most important issues that you would address if elected?

That the assessor be an advocate for the taxpayer and reduce the size and budget of the department in all ways possible. That the assessor be a full time working assessor. That the assessor attend any and all public meetings in the whole of Lyon County with relevant information as needed and to keep the taxpayer apprised of tentative new legislation that would influence the manner in which property is appraised and what this would mean to the taxpayer, giving the taxpayer time to respond to their representative with concerns they may have.

Why should voters choose you over other candidate?

I have watched through the years the mentality of "only a month left so we need to spend the remainder of the budget so we can get more next year" attitude. I will make the cuts to the budget so the assessor's office will be a less costly and more efficiently run county department. The assessor should be working for the taxpayer. The time has come for responsible government and indulgent waste to be stopped.