PRESS ENDORSEMENT: One way to fix a broken office

As political positions go, county assessor is about as apolitical as you can get.

According to Idaho code, here are the two primary functions of an assessor:

• Identify taxable property and assign market value to each.

• Act as an agent of the Idaho Transportation Department in titling and registration of motor vehicles.

Assessor candidates’ stances on the Second Amendment or abortion don’t come into play. Their belief that Donald Trump was the greatest or worst president is irrelevant.

A premium is placed on their ability to lead a department through a morass of complex rules and regulations, serving the general public, other departments and all of the county’s taxing districts. No matter what Bela Kovacs’ political beliefs or ambitions might be, sadly, he has proven to be out of his depth since being appointed Kootenai County assessor almost two and a half years ago.

That’s not an opinion, either. Look at what’s transpired this year.

In May, The Press reported an unprecedented number of Assessor’s Office employees had quit since Kovacs took over in May 2020. In 2021, 37% of department employees left — roughly double the national average.

In April, more than 30 Assessor’s Office employees issued a vote of no confidence in Kovacs. Kovacs considered that a political ploy shortly before the primary election, but how many of you reading this editorial would declare no confidence in your boss knowing you’d likely have to face him every day going forward?

One sentence in particular jumps out from a May 5 Press article:

Multiple sources told The Press that Kovacs has disrupted the work of his staff and missed critical deadlines.

That would prove painfully prophetic.

This summer, the Assessor’s Office imploded, missing by a full month a state-mandated deadline that meant turmoil for the county’s 60 taxing districts and the county itself as they all tried to meet their fiscal year budget-setting deadlines.

"It's very, very late and has never happened before," County Clerk Jim Brannon told The Press. The clerk also serves as the county’s auditor. "I've been clerk for almost nine years. Never, ever has it been late like this. Ever."

Finally, as if things couldn’t get any worse, Kovacs approached the Board of County Commissioners last month, seeking more than a quarter million dollars to hire a private appraisal company to do what he’d failed to do. Reluctantly, commissioners approved the request because they really had no choice. Taxpayers will foot the bill because Kovacs was incapable of ensuring property appraisals were done and staff were properly trained.

What Kootenai County residents need is an assessor who knows the job and gets the most out of employees. Bob Scott, who lost to Kovacs in the May primary, is highly qualified with nearly 10 years of proven excellence in the department. He’s respected by his co-workers. And he’s running for assessor as a write-in candidate, giving voters one more chance to get this critical position right.

On Nov. 8, write in Bob Scott for Kootenai County assessor.