Left: Larry Stone. Proper: Gary Kremen (Photographs by Josie Lepe and Dennis Hearne)
A correction to an earlier model of this text has been appended to the top of the article.
Along with his colourful bow ties and suspenders, Larry Stone has for nearly 30 years been the face of the Santa Clara County Assessor’s Workplace — an company that retains a low profile but has the duty to find out the taxable worth of all non-public and public property within the county.
Not since 2006, when former Santa Clara County Supervisor Pete McHugh tried to knock Stone off his throne, has the 81-year-old assessor confronted a critical reelection problem. Till now.
Gary Kremen, a Silicon Valley-based entrepreneur who gained consideration within the Nineties by nabbing the profitable area intercourse.com and based the net relationship service Match.com, will attempt to wrest the no-term-limit seat Stone has occupied since 1994.
And up to now, Kremen — who entered public service in 2010 and is presently a director on the Santa Clara Valley Water District — seems to be giving Stone a run for his cash within the June major election.
Based on the newest marketing campaign contribution filings, Kremen raised $71,273 final yr to Stone’s $55,025. Each have invested closely in their very own campaigns, with Stone placing up $270,000 of his personal cash and Kremen $170,000.
However Stone says he's unperturbed about his opponent’s early fundraising lead.
“I anticipate to win,” Stone stated. “I’m not going to lose this one.”
Stone is relying on his expertise to hold the day once more and certain will level to having efficiently overseen the evaluation of properties because the county’s rolls have grown to a complete of $600 billion. That interprets into $6 billion a yr in property taxes that pay for important providers similar to colleges, libraries, police and firefighting.
However Kremen, 58, says the longtime incumbent hasn’t adjusted to the twenty first century. “It’s time to get us out of this Stone age,” he quips.
For the reason that passage of the property-tax-limiting initiative Proposition 13 in 1978, the ability of all California assessors has been considerably constrained. Properties are typically assessed at their gross sales worth after they change arms, however then their assessed worth is proscribed to a 2% enhance per yr till they promote once more. The actual motion is across the valuation of enterprise tools and fixtures, which ends up in high-stakes disputes between the assessor and tech firms, amongst others.
Whereas the assessor’s job isn’t as seen as a sheriff or district legal professional, the race between Kremen and Stone has been something however boring.
Final spring, Stone acquired into scorching water with the Silicon Valley Democratic Membership, who censured him after he advised San Jose Inside in profane language that Kremen was a device for the unions. Stone later apologized for the remarks.
Then in January, Stone accused Kremen of stealing his e mail donor checklist to solicit help from his acquaintances. Kremen admitted to acquiring the checklist however stated it was as a result of Stone had inadvertently revealed it in a carbon-copied e mail that a public official forwarded to him.
Kremen’s donors embrace a number of the valley’s expertise gurus, together with $1,000 from Steven Humphreys, CEO of the Fremont-based digital safety firm Identiv. Kremen additionally obtained $1,000 from Dave McClure, a Silicon Valley-based entrepreneur and angel investor who resigned in 2017 from the funding group he based after a number of lady accused him of inappropriate conduct.
As well as, Kremen has obtained cash from water district staff, in addition to $1,000 from Palo Alto Councilmember Alison Cormack and $100 from Monte Sereno Councilmember Elisabeth Lawler.
Stone obtained $1,000 from Gary Filizetti, CEO and president of Devcon Building, one of many largest contractors within the Bay Space, and $1,000 from actual property billionaire John Sobrato. Sunnyvale Vice Mayor Glenn Hendricks gave $500.
Kremen additionally has spent extra money on the marketing campaign the previous yr — $86,846, with virtually $10,000 going in direction of VR Analysis, Inc., a neighborhood opposition analysis firm. Stone has spent simply $12,329.
Through the marketing campaign, Kremen has chiseled away at Stone’s expertise by casting him as somebody whose time has handed. He accused the assessor of utilizing outdated expertise. Among the assessor’s computer systems nonetheless run on COBOL, a pc programming language created within the late Nineteen Fifties however utilized by giant governmental businesses, together with the Inner Income Service.
He’s additionally criticized Stone for being proof against letting his staff earn a living from home through the pandemic.
In August 2020, union members in his workplace circulated a petition expressing considerations about getting COVID-19 as a result of Stone needed a sure variety of them to return to the workplace to extend productiveness. County Govt Jeff Smith stepped in and stated the assessor staff may earn a living from home.
When requested about that, Stone stated he has required his staff to be within the workplace on “only a few” events. He stated the unions are merely “creating opposition with a purpose to additional their endorsement of Gary.”
Stone additionally supplied stories by the county government’s workplace that discovered he has complied with the county’s pandemic prevention plans. As for the expertise on the workplace, Stone stated efforts are underway to improve the programs.
David Ginsborg, who labored on the assessors workplace from 1994 up till final yr and finally grew to become Stone’s deputy, stated Kremen’s criticisms of Stone pale if you have a look at the massive image.
“This race comes right down to ‘Do you belief who has been on this workplace?’ ” he stated. “If individuals had been really upset with how their properties had been being valued, you’d know.”
Ginsborg, who briefly challenged Stone for this coming election however then pulled out and is now supporting him, doesn't contemplate Kremen’s entrepreneurial background notably helpful.
“He’s primarily an investor who takes huge dangerous bets,” Ginsborg stated.
However state Sen. Dave Cortese, who served as a county supervisor till 2020, disagrees with Ginsborg.
“It’s time for a change,” he stated. “I feel 27 years is unhealthy. It’s too lengthy.” He sees Kremen’s background as a bonus.
“He actually is aware of the ropes for what it takes to function with a steadiness sheet in entrance of him, and he’s acquired public service expertise,” Cortese stated. “That mixture is essential.”