|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The Contra Costa County Assessor’s office is set to be under new leadership following this year’s election, when the longtime incumbent is poised to retire and make way for new blood for the first time in decades.
Assistant county assessor Vince Robb, Nick Spinner — a longtime county employee and Crockett Community Services District board member — and Kismat Kathrani, an entrepreneur, philanthropist and political newcomer are competing for endorsements, donations and ultimately votes in the upcoming June primary election.
That makes the assessor’s race the most crowded of the county seats up for grabs on this year’s primary ballot and one of two, along with the auditor-controller’s seat, that is subject to a wide open election with no incumbent running for the first time in decades.
Incumbent Gus Kramer announced earlier this year that he would not be seeking reelection to a ninth term, marking the end of a 32-year tenure in office. He went on to endorse Robb as his successor, who is currently the office’s second-in-command after more than 20 years working under Kramer.
“As Assistant County Assessor, the second in command, I have the unique skills and special technical knowledge needed to fairly and accurately assess the value of every residential, commercial, and business property in the county,” Robb said in his candidate statement. “I have the legally required State of California Appraiser Certification needed to serve on day one.”
While Robb has that and other key endorsements under his belt, Spinner and Kathrani are nonetheless seeking to put up a fight as they campaign on platforms centered on bringing fresh perspectives to the assessor’s office in the face of Robb’s platform of experience and expertise as Kramer’s assistant.
Spinner noted that the state certification Robb has touted in his campaign is a product of his existing role in the office, and that holding the certification is not required to be elected — nor is it possible for candidates who are not coming from outside the office, such as himself and Kathrani.
The process for obtaining that certification starts with getting a temporary certificate within 30 days of taking office, then passing the required comprehensive exam from the Board of Equalization within one year, Spinner said.
“This timeline is not a workaround — it is the standard legal process for every newly elected Assessor in California who comes from outside the office,” Spinner said.
Although Spinner does not have existing experience working within the assessor’s office, he touts a more than 10-year tenure working with the county government as a systems engineer and manager.
“For over a decade, I’ve worked in Contra Costa County government, helping teams modernize systems, improve reliability, and deliver better service,” Spinner said. “I’m proud of practical work that reduces friction, makes information clearer, and helps residents and staff get things done.”
Four years ago during Kramer’s most recent and final campaign for office, Spinner was eyeing a different open seat in the race for clerk-recorder, ultimately being beat out in the primary election. He had better luck later in 2022, when he was elected to a four-year term on the Crockett Community Services District board.
While that makes Kathrani the only candidate in the race without experience in county government, he does have second-hand experience on the campaign trail.
The San Ramon resident is the brother of 2024 mayoral candidate Chirag Kathrani, who is currently one of two challengers running against incumbent assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan for the District 16 seat representing the Tri-Valley.
“My story is rooted in hard work, sacrifice, and the belief that with the right opportunities, anyone can succeed,” Kathrani said on his campaign website. “That perspective continues to drive my commitment to serving and strengthening the community I am proud to be a part of.”
After coming to the country on a work visa with $11 in his pocket at the age of 26, Kathrani said that he was driven by a “strong belief in building a better future.”
“Like many immigrants, I experienced firsthand what it means to work hard, make ends meet, and navigate an unfamiliar system while striving for stability and growth,” Kathrani said. “Through perseverance and determination, I built my own business from the ground up. Over the past 18 years as an entrepreneur, I have created opportunities for hundreds of professionals and helped families build meaningful careers. My journey has given me a deep understanding of the challenges faced by working families and small businesses alike.”
Robb’s campaign for office has been gaining traction, with widespread advertising in local media outlets, campaign signs throughout the county and an outpouring of endorsements and donations.
“During 20 years with the Assessor’s Office, I have worked in or overseen the operation of every division,” Robb said in his candidate statement. “In that time, we have a near-perfect evaluation for accuracy from the State of California.”
“I will prioritize excellent service, working for the residents to provide a clear account of assessments relied upon for vital services, while protecting Prop 13,” he continued, referring to the 1978 state constitution amendment officially known as the People’s Initiative to Limit Property Taxation. “I will hold myself and the office to high standards for transparency, professionalism, and accessibility to residents. I will provide information and assistance regarding tax breaks, including a free review of the assessed value of your property.”
As of April 18, Robb’s campaign had received more than $30,000 in monetary contributions and a $20,000 loan from the candidate himself. Some of the top contributions are from the Blackhawk Real Estate Services LLC, the deputy sheriff’s association PAC, and private residents in Lafayette, Alamo, and Walnut Creek, with expenses primarily consisting of campaign management, advertising, and fundraising events.
Spinner and Kathrani are both running much leaner operations that are largely self-funded so far.
Spinner has raised just under $3,000 in monetary contributions, with spending so far on county election fees, a photo shoot, and campaign literature coming from $17,000 in money he has lent to his own campaign and a $2,500 contribution from American Sugar Refining Inc. As of the latest campaign finance reporting deadline, Kathrani’s campaign was almost entirely funded by a $25,000 contribution he made, although a number of smaller donations from individual Bay Area residents have come in this month.
While that puts Robb’s campaign ahead on the fundraising front, Spinner said that his minimal campaign contributions were by design, with Kathrani pointing to a track record of philanthropy and giving back to the local community.
“I will not accept campaign contributions from developers, commercial landlords, or tax agents seeking to influence property values,” Spinner said. “An office that takes money from the people it regulates cannot treat everyone fairly.”
That and other messaging in Spinner’s campaign related to “restoring public trust” has sought to set him apart from Robb and Kramer while appearing to allude to public skepticism about the office.
“I’ve seen how outdated processes, slow communication, and unclear information erode trust, even when people are simply trying to get a fair and timely answer,” Spinner said.
Trust in the office has also been impacted by a series of allegations over the years largely related to race and gender based discrimination and harassment in the workplace. Those allegations have not been proven in court, with Kramer vigorously denying any wrongdoing and pushing back against media coverage of them.
There is a good deal of overlap in the platforms for all three county assessor candidates, all of which center on transparency, accountability, accuracy and goals to modernize the county’s aging record-keeping systems.
Additionally, Kathrani’s platform consists of a distinct goal to make the appeals process and the office’s operations more accessible to residents.
With Spinner seeking to appeal to voters who are skeptical of the office’s current operations and looking for change and Kathrani courting voters who want more public-facing contact and access to appeals, Robb’s platform emphasizes his experience in the office, connections with its counterparts throughout the state and his role in its high performance over the years, including a 99.78% accuracy rating from a State Board of Equalization audit in 2024 that he helped lead.
“My membership in the California Assessors Association and the Government Finance Officers Association gives me the insight and experience to continue to modernize daily operations, keep records secure, and steward your tax dollars responsibly and fairly,” Robb said.
The top two vote-getters on the June 2 primary are set to advance to the general election in November, which will determine who will succeed Kramer at the end of his current term in December.
More information on Robb’s campaign is available vincerobbforassessor.com. More on Spinner’s campaign is available at spinnerforcontracosta.com, and on Kathrani’s at kismatforthepeople.com.
