McDowell seeks assessor re-election

COEUR d'ALENE - Kootenai County Assessor Mike McDowell announced his candidacy for re-election on Friday, surrounded by family, friends and coworkers at the Veterans Memorial Plaza outside the county administration building.

"We've still got quite a bit of work to do," said McDowell, seeking his third term. "We want to continue the services we're charged with providing to the people of Kootenai County."

A county property owner since 1973, the Republican said his eight years in the office have given him experience crucial for assessing property values in such a struggling economy.

"With the declining real estate market, there are fewer transactions occurring," he said. "With that, it's a challenge to make sure we're measuring the decline accurately and reflecting that in assessments. That's a biggie."

The 55-year-old said he would strive to negotiate with state legislators if he remains in office.

"We don't want them to shift state tax responsibilities," McDowell said. "They face a very difficult challenge in balancing the budget, and we want to keep them aware that property taxpayers are really hurting as well."

The Assessor's Office has maintained a standard of ensuring a fair local tax system under his guidance, he added.

It has also initiated more user-friendly services like online vehicle licensing and titling, as well as online mapping for professionals and the general public.

"We have what I would consider the premier mapping service in the state," he said.

The Coeur d'Alene resident holds an associate's degree in architectural drafting from North Idaho College.

He has worked his way up in the county, starting as mapping division manager in the late '70s, then becoming senior deputy assessor in 1983. He became assessor in '03.

McDowell's history also includes serving as a Coeur d'Alene city councilman from 1991 to 1996.

He is vice president of the Idaho Association of County Assessors and a member of the International Association of Assessing Officers for more than 20 years.

In 2007, he was given the I.A.C. Mills-Adler Award for Assessor of the Year.

"I accept the recognition on behalf of the office, because it's the office and staff who allow me to get that recognition," he said.

Married for 30 years, he has two grown children and one granddaughter.

The county assessor is charged with valuing more than 84,000 parcels of property with a net taxable value of more than $14 billion. The official also maintains more than 1,000 digital maps to track property ownership, and registers more than 100,000 cars and trucks each year.

McDowell said he's up for a little more.

"We have a wonderful team of professionals here, and I'm very grateful to lead that group as county assessor," he said.