Bradley L Jacobs

A new state report questions whether owners of yachts, pleasure boats and private airplanes are getting unwarranted tax breaks from the county. State tax officials suggest that the Orange County assessor's office is being too conservative in determining the value of boats as well as airplane tie-downs, leaving owners with smaller tax bills than the state believes they deserve.

County Assessor Bradley Jacobs and Dist. Atty. Mike Capizzi received the lowest job-performance ratings by the Board of Supervisors, while County Clerk-Recorder Gary L. Granville was given the highest rating. Jacobs received the lowest average score--1.7 out of 5--a score that is not a surprise considering he received a no-confidence vote from the board earlier this year.

In the face of a cable TV industry advertising blitz complaining of higher tax bills, Orange County Assessor Bradley L. Jacobs lashed back Monday, accusing "Big Cable" of violating campaign reform laws by lying to residents and using a monopoly to gouge customers with inflated rates. "That monopoly allowed Big Cable to raise prices by more than 400% since 1983, and it's about time that the people got some of that back," Jacobs said in a press release.

Some candidates hoping to replace Assessor Bradley L. Jacobs are unhappy over a recent letter sent by the county's top lawyer reminding them that the Board of Supervisors is now free to cut the assessor's salary. The seven candidates for the office each received a certified letter from County Counsel Laurence M. Watson in recent days informing them that, based on the board's action in February, the assessor's salary can be cut based on job performance.

Thousands of Orange County residents could be paying too much or too little in property taxes because Assessor Bradley L. Jacobs doesn't have enough employees, according a critical audit released Thursday. The study also found that Jacobs has been unwilling to apply for state loans that could have provided up to $20 million to hire workers and better handle an increasing workload.

The Board of Supervisors will decide next week whether to reduce the salary of Assessor Bradley L. Jacobs for refusing to participate in a state program that could provide millions of dollars in additional resources to his office. Supervisors Charles V. Smith and William G. Steiner have said the threat of a salary cut might be the only way to convince Jacobs to cooperate. Jacobs could not be reached for comment.

Homeowners who bought their homes before 1988-89 are having some understandable concern and confusion about having 2% added to their last year's Assessment Roll Value. The California Constitution and laws require that the 2% be added each year. The 2% showing up on many 1993 Assessment Roll Values is driven by the California Consumer Price Index (CPI). The land, homes, and other buildings must go up 2% in any year the CPI goes up 2% or more. Your property value will drop to market value only if the market data for your property shows that your property value is above its market value.

I note that the cable TV industry is indulging in what appears to be an expensive campaign to influence the vote for Orange County assessor. It would appear from their ads that the incumbent, Bradley L. Jacobs, has some sort of personal vendetta against the cable TV folks because he is, in their opinion, assessing their cable TV property too high. Two things bother me about this concept. The first is that there are laws in this state requiring any assessor to value property according to its full cash value.

The Board of Supervisors gave Assessor Bradley L. Jacobs a choice Tuesday--either apply for state money that could relieve a backlog of property tax assessment appeals or face a pay cut. In a 4-1 vote, the supervisors gave Jacobs until Feb. 24 to seek the $6.8 million he has repeatedly shunned, even though they would give him the extra staff he has said he needs to relieve the jam. If Jacobs refuses, the board could decide at its next meeting to cut his $100,000-a-year salary.

The unexpected decision by Assessor Bradley L. Jacobs not to seek reelection has triggered a stream of last-minute candidates. By Wednesday's deadline, seven people had filed candidacy papers for the office, which manages the assessment of billions of dollars of Orange County property. Five candidates emerged after Jacobs declined to file reelection papers Friday, including Assistant Assessor Webster Guillory, Jacobs' second-in-command who ran in 1984 for Los Angeles County assessor.

The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to make it possible to cut Assessor Bradley L. Jacobs' pay for refusing to apply for state loans that could relieve a backlog of property tax assessment appeals. Saying that chipping at the assessor's $100,000-a-year salary is the only way to convince Jacobs to cooperate in seeking the loans, the board voted 3 to 2 to consider adjusting Jacobs' pay on an annual basis beginning in January 1999.

The Board of Supervisors gave Assessor Bradley L. Jacobs a choice Tuesday--either apply for state money that could relieve a backlog of property tax assessment appeals or face a pay cut. In a 4-1 vote, the supervisors gave Jacobs until Feb. 24 to seek the $6.8 million he has repeatedly shunned, even though they would give him the extra staff he has said he needs to relieve the jam. If Jacobs refuses, the board could decide at its next meeting to cut his $100,000-a-year salary.

The Board of Supervisors will decide next week whether to reduce the salary of Assessor Bradley L. Jacobs for refusing to participate in a state program that could provide millions of dollars in additional resources to his office. Supervisors Charles V. Smith and William G. Steiner have said the threat of a salary cut might be the only way to convince Jacobs to cooperate. Jacobs could not be reached for comment.

County supervisors on Tuesday again criticized Assessor Bradley L. Jacobs for his repeated refusal to participate in a state program that could ease the lengthy backlog in property-tax assessment appeals. "I have a little difficulty with you not working with us on this," Supervisor Charles V. Smith told Jacobs during a lengthy debate. "We are trying to help you do your job." But Jacobs said he would not back down, describing the state program as "a scheme" to raise property owners' taxes.

The tone of the memo delivered to county supervisors last week was ominous: "Please be put on notice that some work will not be done in a timely manner, some might not be done at all, and responsibility for this is with the Board of Supervisors." The missive came from Assessor Bradley L. Jacobs, warning supervisors that their decision last month to deny $395,000 in funding within Jacobs' $18-million budget for fiscal year 1997-98 could result in next year's tax roll being delayed or undervalued.

County supervisors on Tuesday again criticized Assessor Bradley L. Jacobs for his repeated refusal to participate in a state program that could ease the lengthy backlog in property-tax assessment appeals. "I have a little difficulty with you not working with us on this," Supervisor Charles V. Smith told Jacobs during a lengthy debate. "We are trying to help you do your job." But Jacobs said he would not back down, describing the state program as "a scheme" to raise property owners' taxes.

The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to make it possible to cut Assessor Bradley L. Jacobs' pay for refusing to apply for state loans that could relieve a backlog of property tax assessment appeals. Saying that chipping at the assessor's $100,000-a-year salary is the only way to convince Jacobs to cooperate in seeking the loans, the board voted 3 to 2 to consider adjusting Jacobs' pay on an annual basis beginning in January 1999.

County Assessor Bradley L. Jacobs said Tuesday that his office might not be able to complete this year's tax roll on time because the Board of Supervisors refuses to provide adequate funding. In a memo to supervisors, Jacobs said that the board's rejection last week of his request for $395,000 in additional funding "is likely to result in some amount of [tax revenue] loss and/or delay of tax dollar revenues to the county," cities and other government agencies.

A new state report questions whether owners of yachts, pleasure boats and private airplanes are getting unwarranted tax breaks from the county. State tax officials suggest that the Orange County assessor's office is being too conservative in determining the value of boats as well as airplane tie-downs, leaving owners with smaller tax bills than the state believes they deserve.