EDC assessor, judge candidates make case to be elected

By Kathryn Reed

STATELINE — The two candidates for El Dorado County assessor squared-off Wednesday before an audience that included their boss Tim Holcomb, who is retiring.

Retired El Dorado County Judge Gene Rasmussen and sitting Judge Suzanne Kingsbury were also at the Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe forum at Harveys Lake Tahoe.

Keith Brooks had it easy because his opponent for the judgeship based in Cameron Park, Robert Huckaby, chose not to attend.

Michael Gordon and Karl Weiland

All three candidates were given time to make an opening statement, then answered a few questions before making a closing statement. All will be on the June 8 ballot in California.

Karl Weiland is the current assistant assessor and has been endorsed by Holcomb. Michael Gordon is the senior appraiser in the assessor’s office. Brooks was appointed to the bench almost a year ago, and therefore is the incumbent.

Neither assessor candidate had one defining statement that set him apart from his opponent. It was that Weiland threw out more statistics, was a bit more polished and had longer answers than Gordon.

Weiland is the No. 2 guy in the office. Gordon is lower on the totem pole, but the most experienced appraiser.

When asked about assessments on property in the Angora burn area, both said Proposition 8 should be applied so people are not adversely affected with higher rates. But that isn’t what happened. And people affected by the fire were in the room.

Both said it’s up to the county tax collector to go after delinquent taxpayers.

Brooks primarily handles civil litigation, but said it is imperative judges understand all facets of the law because they have to fill in for their peers.

Keith Brooks

He is familiar with Tahoe, having worked in the casinos out of college, met his wife on the South Shore and they have a house in Lake Tahoe.

Brooks is not sure penalties for crimes will go by the wayside even in a depressed economy because it costs money to deal with the issue. He does see community service as a potential solution, though not completely.

He believes in a holistic approach when it comes to dealing with juvenile crime – like drug court and Court Appointed Special Advocates.

These candidates have been invited back to the South Shore next week. The South Tahoe Chamber of Commerce is hosting a forum for the offices of El Dorado County judge, sheriff and assessor on May 25 at 6pm at the South Tahoe Senior Center at 3052 Lake Tahoe Blvd. in South Lake Tahoe.