Daily Post Editorial
We’re not thrilled with having to make this recommendation. In our opinion, neither of Santa Clara County’s ballot measures should be on Tuesday’s ballot. Longtime Assessor Larry Stone should have waited to step down in a year and we would have gotten the race this was gearing up to be – establishment versus outsiders
Two of the candidates caught our eye – Saratoga Councilwoman Yan Zhao and Los Altos Councilwoman Neysa Fligor. Fligor is the insider here, she worked as the assessor’s office attorney, then later returned as a special assistant to Stone before becoming assistant assessor after his retirement this summer, vaulting her to be primed to take over the office.
It’s no secret that Stone had been keeping an eye out for a successor, having turned down endorsements to others who have sought the job that comes with a nearly $300K salary and no term limits, so his endorsement of Fligor is striking.
Zhao was gearing up for a run in 2026. Her preparations for the seat were truncated by Stone’s sudden retirement in July. That makes us suspicious. Did the powers that be in Santa Clara County see something in Zhao that made them nervous?
Unfortunately, we won’t know the answer, and we have to give Zhao credit for the preparation she has done, she got her appraiser’s certificate and, by her estimation, completed 1,000 hours of work in the field so she’d understand what her prospective employees would be doing. However, that’s not nearly the same amount of time Fligor has spent in or around the office.
Costly special election
It gives us heartburn to think that this special election will cost the county $13.1 million – $26.2 million if no one gets above 50% – when this could have naturally been on the ballot next year.
It would be great to see Zhao and Fligor battle it out for the seat. If you feel similarly, then vote for Zhao to give her and Fligor a shot at a runoff.
They could then have intelligent conversations during candidate forums instead of having to explain why certain proposals from other candidates are a long shot.
But aside from the additional $13.1 million price tag for the runoff, we’re also unsure if the runoff would result in anything other than Fligor winning.
The date of the runoff election is Dec. 30. Realistically, who is going to remember to cast a ballot for an oft-forgotten office such as assessor in December between Christmas and New Year’s?
Job pays $300,000 a year
That’s not to downplay the importance of the office, which has 251 employees and a $55 million budget to assess $8 billion in property taxes each year and to be sure to close the roll by June 30 each year. It’s an attractive job, with a salary of nearly $300,000 and no term limits. Both Zhao and Fligor are staring down being termed out of their respective councils.
If you are just looking for a name to cast a ballot for, Fligor, the establishment choice, is ready for the job.
She’s prepared to take on the job and keep things running smoothly – not inject politics into the office like some of her competitors.
We liked some of Zhao’s ideas such as going to senior centers to explain changes to state law or different programs that people over 65 can benefit from. We hope Fligor has been taking notes and can implement some of these good ideas, and keep her ears open for other ideas from the community, which could really benefit an office that has been run by the same man for 30-plus years.
Fligor’s strengths
Ultimately, Fligor won us over with her knowledge of the good, bad and ugly in the office. We would have liked to have seen a Zhao vs. Fligor competition, but the powers that be in Santa Clara County seem to have decided Fligor is the person for the job.
Fligor will have a short runway to prove herself as assessor — if there’s trouble in her first year in office, we hope she faces a challenger in 2026.