Note: This was originally published in July of last year. Considering yesterday's announcement, there may be renewed interest in this posting. Although some information has changed, the article is presented as originally published (with the exception of the addition of Dennis Draeger).

If there's one thing Bill Postmus has accomplished, it's been to make people care about the assessor's office in San Bernardino County. Prior to his campaign, which spent several million dollars, the post was held by a political lightweight in Don Williamson. Now, it seems a significant number of politicians are viewing the office in a much more attractive light.

It is clear now that Assessor Postmus will leave office before the end of his term, one way or another. Under Article II, Section 7 of San Bernardino County's Charter, the Board of Supervisors is charged with the responsibility of appointing a replacement whenever there is a vacancy in a county office. But who might the Board appoint to finish out Assessor Postmus' term?

The Press-Enterprise has published outlines of two possible scenarios that jibe well with rumors heard by Red County San Bernardino blogpen members.

Click "Read More" to read more.
But why must the replacement be a politician? Surely, someone who can navigate county government is needed, but would another politician really be best for the office?

Here's a list of those who will and/or should be considered as candidates to serve as the next assessor (in alphabetical order):

Fred Aguiar: As discussed previously on Red County San Bernardino, "former Assemblyman, former Cabinet Secretary, former County Supervisor, and former Mayor of Chino Fred Aguiar has an 'Aguiar for Assessor 2010' campaign account open and active." While, as Joseph Turner points out, this is common amongst politicos, it does serve as food for thought. Currently, Aguiar serves as Vice-Chair of the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board. Considering his impressive resumé, Aguiar would probably prefer to be in a better-known position. Aguiar seems to have limited to no experience in property appraisal or assessment, but a Red County commenter has posted that Aguiar does have a background in real estate and development.

Jim Bagley: A former mayor and councilmember from Twentynine Palms, Jim Bagley was suggested by a Red County commenter (see the comment below from Dan O). He does have experience as a real estate broker, but whether he has the leadership and management skills to run a major county department on a day-to-day basis has yet to be seen. The assessor is intended to not be not as much an elected official as a department head, which is very different from the position of mayor--or even county supervisor.

Paul Biane: The current Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, Paul Biane is currently in an enviable position as the highest elected official in county government. He formerly served as a Rancho Cucamonga City Councilman. He won't be termed out of office for a number of years, but may still be interested in the Assessor's Office. However, I'd personally question the logic of such a move, especially seeing what happened to the last BOS Chairman to enter the assessor's office.

Harlow Cameron: A 35-year veteran of the assessor's office, Harlow Cameron is highly regarded by the assessment and appraisal staff in the assessor's office. If the roughly 230 employees of the assessor's office were to vote in the assessor on their own, Cameron would almost certainly win. He is a technical genius, well-regarded among other county assessor's offices, and is the longest-serving current employee in the assessor's office. However, Cameron was appointed to his current position by Assessor Postmus, and has recently been quoted defending Greg Eyler's time cards in the San Bernardino Sun. These acts may lead to him being viewed as a "Postmusite," though he surely is not. In talking with those who know Cameron personally, it seems that he would be able to handle the political aspects of the job well, albeit with some distaste. Harlow Cameron had planned to retire last year, but was convinced to stay on as Assistant Assessor. There has been some speculation that even if the assessorship were offered to him, it might be refused.

John Courtright, Dan Harp, Sally Hill, Kevin Johansen, Christy Lantis, Rhonda Pfeiffer, Kathleen Schneider: All of these individuals are senior employees of the assessor's office, and several have been discussed as possible successors to Assessor Postmus. However, considering the wide-ranging nature of the other candidates, it is unlikely that any of these individuals could be competitive. Still, all are highly qualified and skilled employees, and any would likely run an effective assessor's office.

Dennis Draeger: Currently the sole Assistant Assessor for the County of San Bernardino, Dennis Draeger has significant experience in both the Assessor's office and the Treasurer/Tax Collector's office. He formerly served as Chief Appraiser in the Assessor's office, and Chief of Tax Collections in TTC. The Board of Supervisors has repeatedly expressed their confidence in and support of Draeger's management of the professional aspects of the Assessor's office. Draeger will likely serve as Acting Assessor between Postmus' departure and the appointment of a successor. Draeger would be a good choice, and seems to have a good chance of being selected to serve out Assessor Postmus' term.

Bob Dutton: A current state senator and former assemblymember, Dutton has been widely discussed as the next assessor. He will be termed out from the California State Senate in 2012. His next move from there has been speculated on significantly--will he return to the assembly, where he has only served one term, or will he seek another office? The issue with returning to the assembly in 2012 is that current 63rd District Assemblymember Bill Emmerson is termed out in 2010. So Dutton will either have to forfeit his Senate seat two years early, challenge the next 63rd District assemblymember in 2012 for the nomination, or wait until 2016 to return to the assembly. Taking the assessorship would allow him to remain in public office, able to return to the legislature when he chooses, or perhaps move to the Board of Supervisors at some point. While Dutton does have an Associate of Arts in Real Estate, he has limited property appraisal experience.

Bill Emmerson: Assemblymember Emmerson started his career as a political staffer in the 1960s. He later finished his education, and then went on to practice orthodontics for 22 years. He was elected to the State Assembly in 2004. Emmerson is termed out in 2010. However, Senator Bob Dutton in the 31st Senate District is not termed out until 2012. When Emmerson leaves the legislature in 2010, he faces having to wait two years before returning to an elected office. He is generally well-regarded as an elected official but, again, has little to no experience with the appraisal of property for tax purposes.

Dennis Hansberger: A recently defeated long-time county supervisor, Dennis Hansberger has an image of being less a politician than a public servant--an image he has cultivated in interviews since losing his most recent election. After leaving the Board of Supervisors in 1980 (he returned in 1996), he initiated a consulting firm that specialized in land-use planning and public policy. This, perhaps, makes him one of the better equipped elected officials to serve as assessor. He also has extensive experience in government and public administration.

Bill Leonard: A former state legislator, Bill Leonard currently serves as one of two members of the Board of Equalization representing San Bernardino County. Among other things, the Board of Equalization is charged to oversee the various county assessor's offices. His experience on the BOE makes Bill Leonard better equipped than most politicians to serve as an assessor. However, Leonard has not been widely discussed as a possibility. He is termed out from the Board of Equalization in 2010.

Mark Mosher: Although a relative newcomer to County government, Mark Mosher has proven his ability to work within the system. He has worked in the assessor's office since March of 2001, and currently serves as Department Information Systems Administrator. He is responsible for overseeing not only the generic information technology aspects of the office, but also the highly specialized Property Information Management System (PIMS) software, which was developed specifically for the San Bernardino County Assessor's Office. Although he doesn't have a long history in government service, he is generally viewed as possessing the leadership necessary in a person holding an elected office.

John "JP" Pomierski: Currently the mayor of Upland, JP Pomierski was first elected mayor in 2000, and was re-elected in 2004. He is owner of a construction company that has served the Inland Empire since 1978. As with most of the elected officials mentioned, he has limited appraisal or real estate experience. Still, according to Red County San Bernardino sources, he has expressed some quiet interest in the assessor's office. 

Michael Willhite: Willhite is also well-regarded by the professional staff of the assessor's office. He ran against Postmus (and three other candidates) in the 2006 primary, gaining 10.5% of the vote. In a Sun story of March 11, 2006, Willhite is quoted as saying, "This is, in my opinion, a position that should not be political." He proudly declared he had no experience in county politics whatsoever. He served as an Appraiser III in the office, and later an Assistant Assessor under former Assessor Donald Williamson.

Did I miss anyone? I look forward to reading your comments on any of these individuals. Also, do note that this data was collected from various sources and from around the internet. If any information is found to be inaccurate, it will be promptly corrected.

Email SB Pietas at sbpietas@yahoo.com.

(Originally published July 25, 2008)