Jeff Prang was elected as the 27th Assessor for the County of Los Angeles in 2014 and reelected in 2018. 

With more than 1,300 employees located in seven locations and an annual operating budget of approximately $200 million, he manages the largest local public assessment agency in the United States. He is responsible for assessing more than 2.6 million real estate and business properties valued at over $1.7 trillion. Assessor Prang is a licensed appraiser by the California State Board of Equalization, an Executive Committee member of the California Assessors’ Association (CAA), and an active member of the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO). 

Assessor Prang’s dedication to public service spans more than 25 years. Prior to being elected Assessor, he served for nearly 18 years as a member of the West Hollywood City Council, including four terms as Mayor. He was also Assistant City Manager for Pico Rivera; Senior Advisor to the Los Angeles County Sheriff; Director of Public Information for the Los Angeles City Department of Animal Services; Press Deputy to Los Angeles City Council President Ruth Galanter; and Special Assistant to Los Angeles County Assessor Kenneth P. Hahn. He began his career as a Realtor with Re/Max in Warren, Michigan.

Aside from these duties, Assessor Prang has been appointed to key boards and commissions, among them the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission, the California Council on Criminal Justice, the Los Angeles County Library Commission, People Assisting the Homeless (PATH), The Wall Las Memorias. In 2006, then-Councilmember Prang was elected President of the California Contract Cities Association – a statewide education and advocacy organization which represents California municipalities.

Born in Detroit in 1962 and raised in Warren, Michigan, Assessor Prang is a graduate of James Madison College at Michigan State University with a B.A. in International Relations. In 2004, he completed the Program for Senior Executives in Local and State Government at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He has also played trombone in the Michigan State Marching Band and in the St. Clair Shores Symphony Orchestra. He lives in Baldwin Hills with his husband of 14 years, Raymundo Vizcarra, a public high school band teacher.

The Assessor is responsible for appraising taxable real estate and business property and producing an annual assessment roll, which serve as the foundation for a property tax system which generates $17 billion to fund local public services such as education, health care, public safety, parks, libraries, and transportation. The LA County Assessor’s Office is the nation’s largest public assessment agency, employing 1300 appraisers and support staff across seven offices, appraising more than 2.56 million properties annually valued at $1.77 trillion. 

I have endeavored to fulfill the mission of the Office of the Assessor through initiatives that help employees to work more efficiently and productive, with a major technolgy upgrade being the most important component.

Efficiency has also been achieved, while providing tax relief to many small businesses, by eliminating low value business assessments that actually cost more money to process than was collected in revenue.

To enhance transparency and accountability, an unprecedented amount of property information to Los Angeles County’s Open Data portal, increasing access to public records – free of charge.

Programs that help seniors, veterans, the disabled, disaster victims and non-profits have been maximized through public education and outreach, saving $650 million in 2021.

Property owners adversely affected by natural disasters such as fires, floods, and earthquakes have been granted proactive tax relief.

To cut through the confusion and address taxpayer inquiries quickly and efficiently, a one-stop public service counter for handling all property tax issues in one convenient location was created.

Measures have been implemented to process assessment appeals in a more timely manner to ensure that property owners receive fair and speedy resolution. 

The Assessor’s Office was awarded the Certificate of Excellence in Assessment Administration (CEAA) by the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO), the most prestigious professional honor for a public assessment agency; Los Angeles is the only county in California to have earned it. 

In addition, the technology modernization initiative has been recognized by the National Association of Counties, the Los Angeles County Quality and Productivity Commission, and Government Technology magazine.

I'm 37 years old, my wife and I have an infant son who relishes in making our lives as busy as possible. I've worked for the Office of the Assessor for almost eight years. It's possible that I've reviewed thousands of properties in the San Fernando Valley during that time.  I've met and conversed with countless homeowners in various settings.  I was born and raised in the East San Fernando Valley, where I currently live, and I have always had the desire for understanding the underlying reasons which underpin the problem at hand.  

That desire has led me to believe that there are specific strategies which we can implement for the benefit of the public and staff at our county offices. These strategies will lead to institutional changes that satisfy our desire for reasonable assessments in a timely manner and in a cost-effective, common-sense way.

It is my belief that our office (because it's yours too) is ready to begin a new story. We suffer from the problem of being a reactive, not proactive government. Initiative, flexibility and innovation are as important to running a government service as they are a business. Our current system is rife with outmoded programming, substandard hardware, and irrelevant processes for the modern era.

1) In the case of the Assessor's Office, there needs to be a rethinking of our production process because it will directly impact service to the public.  That process includes, but is not limited to, what documents we need to process for new construction, how we process new transfers, and how the assessor manages homeowner contact. 

I want to streamline our efforts with an eye toward what works today and what will work tomorrow. Time's change and we all must stay flexible in our pursuit of excellence; this means incorporating modern technology when needed and recognizing when a new tool doesn't work.  Yes, the bloated website needs to go too.

2) There are a number of reasons why errors are made.   These errors lead to phone calls regarding tax bills, erroneous assessments and over-assessments; there is value in the time lost to fielding those calls and making corrections. There is also time lost during the initial assessment which I consider a wasted effort.  

I will try to find solutions with the help of knowledgeable staff to better close the gap on unforced errors.  I believe such an effort may stem the subsequent work load which means our workers will have time enough to focus on individual properties and outreach.  I believe this may also provide peace of mind for the homeowner. 

3) Many of the inter-agency communications are still conducted on paper.  This means that there is time wasted in organizing, printing/copying, and delivering documents to other agencies (Building & Safety, Assessment Appeals Board, etc.).  Additionally, there is a hard cost in receiving, maintaining, and disposing of such documents.  One could argue that there is an environmental cost as well.

I want to reach out to other organizations to cooridnate a new, acceptable methodology that would assist in our efforts toward a more responsive and accountable work flow.

4) Efforts should be made in hiring the right people and retaining them.  One natural way to lure new hires and improve retention is to promote a better work/life balance by offering remote work.  Remote work has the added benefits of reduced reliance on fossil fuels at a time when gas prices are high (savings), reduced emisions, reduced traffic (time savings), reduced mileage paid to staff (savings) and reduced need for office space (more savings).  Unfortunately, the current administration is attempting to bring all staff back to the office in spite of these benefits.

Furthermore, there is a need for an advancement process that is better able to value the characteristics of employees that align with the new vision of the office; a vision of improved service through initiative, flexibility and innovation. Otherwise, you'll just end up with an administration that becomes comfortable with the status quo.  That's bad for business.