How the LA County Assessor impacts property owners and who is in the race this election cycle

One of the less promoted – yet important – upcoming races in the L.A .County primaries is the seat for County Assessor. Property owners are the most affected by the rules and regulations under the assessor's office.

Some of the assessor’s responsibilities are to locate all taxable property in the county and identify ownership, establish a taxable value for all property – including business holdings, boats and aircraft – complete an assessment roll showing the assessed values of all property and apply all legal exemptions. 

The assessor’s office also administers a wide range of property tax relief programs for homeowners affected as well as those for nonprofit organizations and small businesses.

While many people confuse the Assessor’s Office with the Treasurer and Tax Collector’s Office, the difference is that the assessor determines the taxable value of property, while the Treasurer and Tax Collector is responsible for billing and collecting property taxes. 

Incumbent Jeffrey Prang, who has been in office since 2014, is facing four challengers: Sandy Sun, Stephen Adamus, Rob Newland, and Steven Palty.

Prang’s website indicates that his plan is to continue valuing property accurately and fairly and to modernize the office to achieve efficiency while guaranteeing the integrity of valuation systems. 

Some of his recent achievements include when his office helped taxpayers in 2025 to receive approximately $850 million in property tax savings through programs benefiting homeowners, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, nonprofits and small businesses.

He is endorsed by all major cities of L.A. County and dozens of elected officials including L.A County Supervisors Lindsey Horvath, City of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna, all of whom are also up for reelection. 

The Assessor's office manages more than 2.4 million parcels across L.A. County. The valuations it assigns directly determine what homeowners pay in property taxes. Prang’s plan said taxpayers who disagree with their appraisal have the right to appeal. On his website, he said that from 40,000 cases in 2020, the number is now about half as they continue to identify strategies to process the appeals in a timely manner. 

The contenders

Rob Newland, a real estate appraiser and housing economist, said on his website that owners deserve to understand how their property was assessed and why. He believes the government should not hide something as important as property taxes.

“The assessor determines the taxable value of every property in Los Angeles County. Those valuations affect how property taxes are distributed to schools, cities and local services across the county,” he stated on his website.

Some of his supporters include Republican influencers April Silverman aka Cali MAGA Barbie and Elizabeth Barcohana. 

Deputy Assessor Sandy Sun, who ran in 2022 for the same seat and gained 22% of the vote in the primaries, is running again.  

Sun doesn’t have a website but in Ballotpedia she said she wants to ensure all taxpayers are treated fairly by establishing a fully transparent office. She advocates for Proposition 13, to protect homeowners, taxpayers and senior citizens from being excessively taxed and forced out of their homes. 

She’s also a supporter to eliminate property taxes for all homeowners who occupy their home as their principal place of residence. 

“This will help fixed income senior citizens keep and stay in their homes. This will also help the younger generation as a first-time home buyer. People who pay rent can generally afford a mortgage,” she said. 

She has no endorsements and said she’s not a career politician. Instead she relies on the voters and taxpayers.

Stephen Adamus has worked for the L.A. County Assessor for 14 years as a property assessment specialist. He has experience analyzing transfers of real property, studying Proposition 13 and conducting hearings before the LA County Assessment Appeals Board. 

If elected, he said he will end waste, mismanagement, fraud and misappropriation of public funds. 

“The Office is plagued by this type of behavior and it’s costing us millions of dollars year over year. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I sued the County over it. ” he said. “Currently, there is a tiered tax system where the influential and connected get special treatment while the rest of us get the full extent of the law. If elected I will do away with this. All taxpayers will be treated the same regardless of their wealth, health, connections or social status.”

He also advocates for full-time telework when possible. 

“It’s time we embrace the future. There is no need for the County to shoulder the burdens of unnecessary traffic, smog, stress, waste and spending associated with in-office work. We are not the Flintstones,” he said. 

His contributors include family and friends. 

Finally, Steven Palty is an accountant who regularly speaks to concerned homeowners, renters and small business owners who are affected by inflation, rising property values and the resulting effect on property taxes and rising rent costs. 

He said he will ease the tax burden on L.A. County, eliminate waste and fraud in the system and ensure fairness and integrity and restore the desirability of L.A. County as one of the finest areas in the country to have a home. His only endorsement is conservative Jennifer Horn.

The primary elections are on June 2, 2026. Voters in L.A. County can send their ballots by mail, drop them off at a ballot drop box or find a voting center, which are already open until June 2 at 8pm.