Looks like San Diego County Assessor Greg Smith is outsky. The man who may be able to speak faster than any person in the county is moving on and trying to arrange for his deputies to take over. Smith announced his resignation Monday and, on county letterhead, asked the Board of Supervisors to appoint his assistant, David Butler, as his replacement and to support his other assistant, Jeffrey Olson, in the 2010 election for assessor.
Smith's letter is effusive in praise for Olson.
Jeffrey is a dynamic individual who has the passion and desire to run for this office and will make an outstanding candidate and future Assessor.
The guy can do boosterism. Of course maybe we should take his recommendations with a grain of salt. This is also the guy who was trying to persuade everyone to buy a home in the middle of 2006.
"I think the fundamentals are strong," he said. "We don't have a recession, we have job growth -- I don't see the dark clouds out there, I really don't."
Chula Vista breaks my heart. If you missed the budget presentation they are giving, here it is. Some smart people need to go through that and see if it all adds up.
I'm going to try to speak with interim City Manager Scott Tulloch. I would be surprised if the City Council actually decided to lay off firefighters and police officers. But this is how serious it's getting down there. City officials may not declare bankruptcy, but they'll have to cut everything down to the bone to be able to continue to pay their debt obligations.
Editor´s Choice The reader comments you won't want to miss. (Editor's Choice selection do not represent the views of the editors. They are comments that seem to add to the discussion as opposed to less productive insults or arguments.)
The Assessor should long ago have stopped being an elected position & a professional from the office should be promoted when Greg leaves. They'll be certainly be better qualified than Greg was when he took over in 1983. He was an aide to then County Supervisor Tom Hamilton (representing the South Bay) and was appointed as deputy to then Assessor EC Williams (who once described himself as a "former FBI black bag man"). Greg spent a short time as William's deputy and easily got appointed to the top job when Williams retired. He has done a good job over the years and much more than other County officials has been oriented toward serving the public. His crystal ball regarding housing prices was about the same as everyone else's, but his job was assessing current values, not tomorrow's.
Resigining mid - term is a classic small county move whereby you give your assistant an opportunity to get their "name on the bell", a significant advantage in that they are able to run as an incumbent in the subsequent election... Cheesy and highly derided... but common. Didn't think someone would do that in SD though, what, with all the media attention on these things. It is a bit too obvious. What I don't understand is why not appoint "Jeffrey" straight out? Is the plan for butler to get his one year high salary up prior to retirement or something? Maybe that is the non-obvious part.
Smith sees the 'tough going' for the county's & city's payroll & just 'leaves it to others' to clean up the mess he's added to? Tho RE professionals told him the market was Not 'rosy' in '06-we were headed for a huge 'market correction' at the least, he still continues to 'tow the line' for the party & redevelopers! Comfy at a high salary for so long, what, 13 yrs.? Wonder if his wife's still 'selling high' in the RE business (& now in foreclosures?), profited enough to pay off their mortgages & kids' college tuitions? He's not near 60 yet, lately 'going gray' in public, for 'appearances?' While Redevelopment Agency's high salaries 'suck dry' Property Taxes from county, state & local coffers & now schools, diverted to Housing Developers, he 'sits pretty' in his ivory tower, and Alexander Tyler's predictions come true!
Greg Smith is an amazing man. He has done great work in the community, and I hope the next County Tax collector, recorder, assessor is as good as he is. Thank you for all your hard work Greg and good luck with future endeavers.
Greg Smith was driven out of office by the county pension plan. But not the way you'd think. Read my newspaper column on this matter: link
Posted by Richard Rider Chairman San Die | reply to this comment December 9, 2008 10:52 am
Reader feedback
Users may post more than one comment, but should not pose as multiple users. Multiple posts from the same IP address but with a different user name on each will be reviewed to determine whether abuse has occurred.
Posts with overly personal attacks or unsubstantiated allegations may be edited or deleted.
Please be patient with the posts -- there may be a delay before they appear on the site -- and make sure to enter the code in the "image verification" box.
Post a comment
Scott Lewis on Politics
The Scott Lewis on Politics blog, abbreviated cleverly as SLOP, is a collection of observations, insights and the occasional scoop on public affairs in San Diego. Please feel free to e-mail Scott at scott.lewis@voiceofsandiego.org.
Listen to voiceofsandiego.org's radio program on AM 600 KOGO: Latest Episode (November 8): Scott Lewis and Michael Zucchet talk about the city's budget
PRINT 
E-MAIL STORY
SHARE
FACEBOOK
REDDIT
NEWSVINE
DIGG
DEL.ICIO.US
BLINKLIST
Don't want to miss a story? Want to be the first to know about breaking news? Sign up now.