Colorado counties are responsible for a lot of aspects of daily life. Among them: appraising and recording all real and personal property within the jurisdiction. This year, incumbent PK Kaiser, a Democrat, faces Republican Bob Andrews, a real estate professional and former state House candidate, for the seat.
Kaiser, who also formerly ran unsuccessfully for Aurora City Council, was elected in 2018. In the assessor’s office, he’s responsible for classifying and evaluating property, maintaining relevant public records and completing the annual Abstract of Assessment.
While the job of the county assessor is one that deals with property, the office doesn’t set or collect taxes. The main job is to determine the value of property.
Still, the two candidates have a clear idea of how they’d like to see the office run.
“I am a strong believer in exceptional customer service, so much so that I taught college credit classes in customer service. Elected officials are servants of the public and need to be accessible,” Andrews said in a candidate survey. “I will have a walk-in office available to taxpayers. The position of County Assessor is a full-time job, and your County Assessor should report to work every day and be accessible to anyone in public at any time to discuss matters regarding their property. This is why this position is titled public servant.”
Kaiser said if elected to another term, his top priority would be to expand services to a county that encompasses 805 square miles and large urban centers and small towns.
“We will keep working on the process improvements across the different sections of the assessor’s office,” he said. “The assessor office is more efficient and accessible than ever before. We will keep the open hire policy, career development & work flexibility for the staff. We will cooperate with other county assessors’ offices for mutual benefits.”
Prior to the pandemic, the assessor’s office set up a temporary mobile office in the Heather Gardens retirement community in Aurora, where residents could submit appeals, protests, abatements and other applications.
Kaiser said he’s currently working on plans to replicate that model in “remote areas” and to people who may not have internet access.
While not a highly political office that endures the same kinds of issues as state lawmakers or even county commissioners, Kaiser and Andrews each say it’s still important for the position to be elected.
“I think it is important that the office for County Assessor be elected by the county citizens so they can be assured that the individual is competent, thorough, and accountable. Voting eliminates political nepotism and the ‘good old boy’ system,” Kaiser said. “With population increase in number and diversity more representation will bring more talent into politics.”
Andrews said the position, however, shouldn’t be partisan.
“Party affiliation should not be a variable when determining the value of a property,” he said. “In fact, considering party affiliation when valuing would be a violation of my appraisal license and would lead to disciplinary actions by the Division of Regulatory Agencies… it is best that the Assessors Office is run by a Licensed Appraiser who is not appointed by the Commissioners (BOCC) since the BOCC control the budget.”
Meet PK Kaiser
PK Kaiser
PK Kaiser, a Democrat, was elected Arapahoe County Assessor in 2018. The father of three is currently working on his Ph.D in economics from Euclid University. He’s worked at Colorado community colleges and universities, with the U.S. Postal Service and as a tax examiner in state government. In 2015, PK ran for the non-partisan Ward VI seat on the Aurora City Council, losing to Francoise Bergan. Since he’s served on several boards and advisory groups in Aurora and Arapahoe County. PK is an active Colorado Ad-Valorem Appraiser and has broker licenses.
PK Kaiser Q&A
I think it is important that the office for County Assessor be elected by the county citizens so they can be assured that the individual is competent, thorough, and accountable. Voting eliminates political nepotism and the “good old boy” system. With population increase in number and diversity more representation will bring more talent into politics.
The repeal of Colorado’s Gallagher Amendment is expected to lead to an increase in residential property taxes. What would you do to explain higher assessment rates and make sure these tax increases are communicated clearly to residents?
If Colorado’s citizens repeal the Gallagher amendment, I do expect residential property taxes to increase. The education about these changes would become THE major priority for my office. I would not only use the assessor’s website, but social media, Direct mail, and all public forums, mailing, and county & local media resources. The assessor’s office will make sure that the citizens understand that any such change is from a vote of the people, and the assessor’s office is implementing the new law. At the same time, I will assure the citizens that the assessor office will keep doing its job in a transparent manner and stay accountable to the citizens in every respect of the assessor’s office operation.
In what ways can the assessor’s office be more accessible? What are your plans to make that happen?
I have been trying to make the accessory’s office more accessible during the past almost four years. I have taken several steps to increase accessibility to the assessor’s office:
- We have digitized all real estate Notice of Value (NOV). Now, anyone can scan the scannable code on their notice and can go directly to their property details.
- We have started an online appeal process and in last cycle more than 60% residential appeals were filed online.
- We have also developed a transparency map where the citizens can see the change in value across the county (Arapahoe County Assessor Assessment Value Change 2021 (arcgis.com)
- Administration Building: 5334 S Prince St., Littleton, CO 80120 (Located on west side of building), Lima Plaza: 6954 S. Lima St., Centennial, CO 80112 (Located in front of the DMV), Aurora Branch: 490 S. Chambers Rd., Aurora, CO 80017 (Located in front of DMV), Byers Motor Vehicle: 538 US Hwy 36, Byers, CO 80103 (Located in front of the DMV) and Altura Plaza: 15400 E 14th Place, Suite 500, Aurora, CO 80011 (Located inside lobby area)
- We also publish a quarterly newsletter to reflect the residential market trends in the county (Quarterly-Newsletter-July-2022 (arapahoegov.com).
- In pre-COVID time we had set up a mobile assessor office at Heather Gardens and Byers. During the appeal/protest period we accepted the appeals/protests, abatements, distributed senior citizens and disable veterans tax exemption applications, address changes. Other forms from the assessor’s office were provided at these locations. We have plans to extend those services to the remote areas and to the citizens who cannot reach the assessor’s office, do not have internet or do not want to use the internet.
If reelected, I plan to expand this model to other parts of Arapahoe county because people have appreciated the accessibility of the Assessor’s office, the information shared, and the opportunity to get their questions answered by their area specialist.
What’s your top priority if elected?
As I answered in the above question, we will expand our services to all parts of the county. We will keep working on the process improvements across the different sections of the assessor’s office. The assessor office is more efficient and accessible than ever before. We will keep the open hire policy, career development & work flexibility for the staff. We will cooperate with other county assessors’ offices for mutual benefits.
Do you believe the 2020 Presidential Election was absent of widespread fraud and fairly won by Joe Biden?
I Believe the 2020 presidential election was absent of widespread fraud, and thus fairly won by Joe Biden.
Do you trust the election process in Colorado? And will you accept the outcome of this election as announced?
I am very proud of our election process in Colorado. We have kept elections safe and expanded accessibility to vote using mail-in ballots, Drop Boxes throughout the county, and voting on the day of registration. I will accept the outcome of this election as announced.
Get to know PK Kaiser
Mountains hiking
What is the last concert you attended?
Neha Kakkar’s concert in Denver
What restaurant do you frequent most?
Wendy’s (4 for 4)
If you had a superpower, what would it be?
Make people in their everyday life
What was the last book you read?
The Alchemist
What is your least favorite household chore?
Mowing lawn
If you had to pick one television show to watch forever, what would it be?
House of Cards
Did you have any New Year’s resolutions? What were they?
“I will stay happy throughout this year”
What were you most excited to do after pandemic restrictions eased?
Eating out with friends and families.
What fun fact about you would most surprise people who know you?
That I am very good at most of the team sports.
Meet Bob Andrews
Bob Andrews
Bob Andrews is a real estate professional in Colorado. He was born and raised in Limon, east of Denver, and has spent nearly five decades in Arapahoe County. He’s worked in real estate for 40 years and spent 25 years doing appraisals. In 2020, Bob, a Republican, ran against Democrat Iman Jodeh for the state House District 41 seat in Aurora. He earned 34 percent of the vote in that race.
Bob Andrews Q&A
The best form of government is a citizen-led government, which is why I strongly feel the County Wide Offices (Assessor, Clerk & Recorder, Coroner, Sheriff, District Attorney, and Treasurer) are elected by the people they represent. These offices should answer to the voters, not a Board of County Commissioners or City Council. It is best that the Assessors Office is run by a Licensed Appraiser who is not appointed by the Commissioners (BOCC) since the BOCC control the budget. The BOCC could push for higher values IF they are in need of a budget increase. To protect the Taxpayers of Arapahoe County, it is best to have an experienced independent elected official running the county appraisal (Assessors) office.
In short, your County Wide elected should not be partisan. They serve ALL in their community and adhere to the laws and constitution of the State of Colorado. Party affiliation should not be a variable when determining the value of a property. In fact, considering party affiliation when valuing would be a violation of my appraisal license and would lead to disciplinary actions by the Division of Regulatory Agencies. Again, it is best that the Assessors Office is run by a Licensed Appraiser who is not appointed by the Commissioners (BOCC) since the BOCC control the budget.
The repeal of Colorado’s Gallagher Amendment is expected to lead to an increase in residential property taxes. What would you do to explain higher assessment rates and make sure these tax increases are communicated clearly to residents?
Colorado’s property tax structure is highly confusing and continues to get worse with the recent repeal of the Gallagher Amendment.
Before the Gallagher Amendment repeal, there were only two assessment rates for our residential and non-residential properties, which has been the standard since 1982. Today, four different assessment rates have opened the doors for the government to pick winners and losers in our property tax system. This is not the government’s role, and we are moving away from fairness and equity for all property owners.
These recent changes have impacted all sixty-four county assessors’ offices, real estate and title company offices and confused many of our property owners.
Today, our Assessor needs to be more of a public face, a face that is constantly meeting with their community, their media, and other elected officials, knowledgeable and educating all about the continual changes and how these changes could benefit and hamper their budget. I will be that Assessor hosting many town halls, incorporating an assessment calculator on the Assessor’s website, allowing our real estate, title companies, and property owners to visit and determine their estimated taxes.
In what ways can the assessor’s office be more accessible? What are your plans to make that happen?
First and foremost report to work every day and all day. Like the Treasurer’s office, I would have kept the walk-in appointment policy during the pandemic. I am a strong believer in exceptional Customer Service; so much so that I taught college credit classes in Customer Service. Elected officials are servants of the public and need to be accessible.
Unlike my opponent, I will be available to meet with taxpayers by reporting to work every day and all day. I will have a walk-in office available to taxpayers. The position of County Assessor is a full-time job, and your County Assessor should report to work every day and be accessible to anyone in public at any time to discuss matters regarding their property. This is why this position is titled public servant.
What’s your top priority if elected?
My top priority would be to get to know my 60+ staff and ensure that they would have the support of an Assessor with actual appraisal experience managing the office. By getting to know my staff, I would be able to have intelligent technical conversations as to fair and honest home evaluations.
Dedicated to the mission to meet or exceed the statutory requirements, rules, and regulations of the State of Colorado in the administration of Arapahoe County’s property assessment and mapping system that is accurate, fair, and equitable to the citizens and to serve our customers in a courteous and efficient manner that fosters mutual respect and understanding.
Do you believe the 2020 Presidential Election was absent of widespread fraud and fairly won by Joe Biden?
I believe elections are far too important for political agendas to rule out the temptation of cheating and fraud. However, I have not provided enough evidence to believe any alleged election improprieties would have resulted in a different outcome.
I believe elections are far too important to corporate American and the established government officials to rule out the temptation of cheating and fraud. However, I have not been provided enough evidence to believe any alleged election improprieties would have resulted in a different outcome. I believe Joe Biden is the elected President of the United States.
Do you trust the election process in Colorado? And will you accept the outcome of this election as announced?
I believe we can always improve our voting processes. I believe voter roles need to be better monitored, but I do trust Colorado elections to be fair. I believe I have a strong message, “Experience Matters.” Based on that message, I am confident I will win the election and I will accept the outcome; either way.
Get to know Bob Andrews
I took my daughter and two year old grandson to the Wings Over the Rockies museum at the old Lowry Air Force Base. He, Daxton, loves airplanes. It was such a pleasure seeing him run from one plane to another with big eyes saying, “Wooo.”
What is the last concert you attended?
It has been years since I have attended a concert but pretty sure it was John Prine at Red Rocks Amphitheater
What restaurant do you frequent most?
I love the green chili at the Brewery Bar II on Kalamath.
If you had a superpower, what would it be?
If I could pick a superpower it would be the power to heal the sick. It pains me to see children in pain and the sorrow in the eyes of their parents.
What was the last book you read?
I just finished reading Donald T. Phillips’s “Lincoln on Leadership” for the third time.
What is your least favorite household chore?
Cleaning the refrigerator
If you had to pick one television show to watch forever, what would it be?
It would either be Andy Griffith or The Waltons. I grew up in Limon, Colorado. Small town’s sense of community and simplicity appeal to me.
Did you have any New Year’s resolutions? What were they?
Every day I wake up and thank God for another day, my many blessings and ask him to help me become a better person. Therefore, I do not make New Year’s Resolutions.
What were you most excited to do after pandemic restrictions eased?
Removing the masks. I missed seeing the faces and expressions of people in which I communicate.
What fun fact about you would most surprise people who know you? I enjoy playing music. I play the acoustic guitar and the ukulele at Nursing Homes and Alzheimer’s Clinics with a group of neighborhood friends. This might have been my greatest loss during the pandemic.