County Assessor Bill Postmus Takes Medical Leave of Absence, Temporarily Assigns Responsibilities To Assistant Assessor For Operations Harlow Cameron 

SAN BERNARDINO - San Bernardino County Assessor Bill Postmus today announced that he is taking a medical leave of absence. As part this announcement, Postmus is transferring all duties and responsibilities to a thirty-five year veteran of the department, Assistant Assessor for Operations Harlow Cameron.

Based on the recommendation of his physician, the leave of absence will be for ten weeks.

As is customary in all San Bernardino County matters pertaining to absences related to medical considerations, the reasons for Assessor Postmus' leave of absence will remain confidential.

"Harlow Cameron is an invaluable and longtime member of this department," Postmus stated. "Under Harlow Cameron's stewardship, I know the office will be in outstanding hands while I am away from the office," Postmus stated.
Assistant Assessor for Operations Harlow Cameron is a 35-year veteran of the San Bernardino County Assessor's Office. Harlow Cameron was born and raised in Upland. He is a graduate of Upland High School in 1968 and the University of Redlands 1972.

Harlow Cameron began his career with the San Bernardino County Assessor's Office as a real property appraiser in 1973. He was promoted to Supervising District Appraiser in 1977 and served in that capacity in four different field offices for twenty years. Many sweeping changes that drastically changed the business functions of property tax valuation and administration occurred in those years. The most significant of these was the Proposition 13 initiative and subsequent legislation. Cameron helped in the planning, transition, and practical implementation of the succession of property tax law changes. In 1997, Harlow was selected to serve as the Chief of Assessment Services to oversee the valuation support functions of the department. As the manager of the Assessment Services Division he was the Assessor team leader on the Property Information Management System database rewrite project and the department Y2K coordinator.

Cameron was appointed to his previous position of Chief Appraiser in 2001. In this role he was responsible for the administration of the Valuation Division which appraises all locally taxable real and personal property in the County. He directed staff in nine Real Property field offices, the Business Personal Property section, the Special Properties unit, and Assessment Appeals in the valuation of over 800,000 parcels totaling $182 billion on the assessment roll and the performance of valuation related public service. Harlow Cameron actively supports technological development and utilization of data resources that improve the accuracy of appraisals and the efficiency of the valuations staff.

Since his appointment as assistant assessor for operations in early November 2007, Mr. Cameron has overseen approximately 200 employees and he worked  with his staff in completing the 2008 Annual Assessment Roll, as he has done in several previous years in his various roles in the Office of the County Assessor.

Harlow Cameron enjoys family, church, outdoor recreation, and small construction projects. He served on the board of elders of the Twin Peaks Community Church for twenty years.

Cameron will assume the responsibilities as acting assessor beginning Thursday July 24, 2008.