LAND DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE FILES FOR

COUNTY ASSESSOR RACE

        Glide resident Tony Page filed on Monday to run for Douglas County Assessor in the May 2010 election.  The position is currently held by Ron Northcraft, who was elected in 1998.

        Page currently is employed as the real property officer with the Douglas County Land Department, a position he has held since April 2008.  Prior to that he served for seven years as an appraiser in the county assessor’s office.

        Page also has been a licensed real estate broker for 14 years and previously owned his own business.

        “I decided to run for county assessor because I believe that office is out of touch with the local market,” Page said.  “I think that too often property owners are having to pay taxes based on over-inflated real estate values.”

        As an example, Page cited statistics that show the average home sale price dropping more than 15% from October 2008 to October 2009 while assessments from the county have declined significantly less over the same period.

        “It’s not really an equitable system any more,” Page said. 

        Page said he feels his experience in real estate and the assessor’s office make him uniquely qualified as a candidate for the county assessor position.   

 “I’ve spent a lot of time on both sides of the table,” Page said.  “So I have developed an in-depth understanding of how the system should work, but I also have empathy for property owners.  I think that’s a combination that will go a long way toward restoring fairness and reason to the county assessor’s office.”