Opening Celebration for Assessor’s Office

The new district office of the county assessor, the first in years in the San Fernando Valley, will hold its grand opening ceremony today in Sylmar.

Los Angeles County Assessor Rick Auerbach said the office, which has been in operation since April, makes it easier for Valley residents to gain information about property values and ownership, besides providing access to maps commonly used by real estate professionals.

“The event is a way to let taxpayers know what is available at the assessor’s office and what services we provide,” Auerbach said.

The new office replaces two older Valley facilities and is much-needed, said Auerbach, who was appointed to the post by the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 29. The Chatsworth facility became too crowded when the Newhall office closed after the 1994 Northridge earthquake, Auerbach said. He also said the Van Nuys building is deteriorating.

“It just was not a good environment for the employees or for the taxpayers that visited the office,” he said.

Besides being roomier, the new office is equipped with improved technology, including three computers taxpayers may use to access public information such as the annual assessor’s roll, information about property values and ownership, plus assessors’ maps commonly used by real estate professionals.

Consolidating the two offices will eventually make for a net savings for the assessor, said Gil Parisi, special assistant to the assessor.

“The old facilities we had were very outdated and in need of repair work,” Parisi said. “It made economic sense to relocate to a building that was equipped with the latest technology built into it versus rehabbing older buildings and still not having the type of facilities that would be suitable for the public.”

The new $3.3-million facility is at 13800 Balboa Blvd. in Sylmar.