November WAKE UP! Newport – Orange County Assessor Claude Parrish

Claude Parrish was sworn in on January 5, 2015 as the elected Assessor of Orange County, where he has committed to serve the public by valuing assessable property with fairness and impartiality. As part of his commitment to help taxpayers, he has expanded the office hours for the public to 5 p.m. He has an open-door policy and routinely conducts meetings with taxpayers, small business owners, and other constituents in his office.
As Assessor, he has eliminated waste and instituted taxpayer-friendly policies:

First, with existing staff, on August 11, 2015, he has created a Taxpayer Advocate Office to assist taxpayers. In effect, “a public defender for the taxpayer.”

Second, brought service to south Orange County, opened on September 27, 2016, with an Assessor Public Service Office (there were none before), located in existing government space, at no additional rent expense, staffed with existing employees who live near the satellite location, to serve taxpayers.

Third, extend the property tax appeals period from September 15th to November 30th.

Fourth, allow taxpayers of Orange County all of the lawful exemptions they are qualified for, and with the services that they are entitled to, which taxpayers in other counties now receive.

Fifth, highlighted important paragraphs with color (green, yellow and red), so that taxpayers will not miss important deadlines and items, helping avoid taxpayer penalties.
Claude Parrish is a past Los Angeles County Insurance Commissioner. Prior to his work in Orange County, he was elected to the State Board of Equalization, Third District in 1998, where he served as both its Vice Chairman and Chairman as well as a member of the Franchise Tax Board, where he instituted a taxpayer-friendly approach to serve the eight million residents of his district from 1999 to 2007. At the Board of Equalization, he also chaired the Customer Services Committee and implemented a new 800-telephone line able to answer more complex tax problems for tax professionals. Additionally, at the Board of Equalization, he chaired the powerful Property Tax Committee which is responsible for creating all Property Tax Regulations in California, which Assessors must follow.