As the former County Assessor/Clerk/Recorder of Riverside County (1991-2004) I take a candidate’s statements seriously. For this reason I was disturbed to see that Ernie Dronenburg states in his official candidate statement that he was an “Assessor 20 years.” This statement implies he was an elected county assessor. The truth is that Mr. Dronenburg was never an elected assessor of a California county. This is the kind of statement that is overlooked in campaigns, but it is necessary to call on Mr. Dronenburg to clarify this erroneous statement.
David Butler, the current Assessor and candidate for office, has been working in the office for over 30 plus years as an appraiser, manager, and assistant department head. In my professional capacity I worked with both candidates, and I can assure your readers that David Butler is the far superior candidate. His knowledge of the needs of the office and his dedication to public service are just what this position requires during these times when the department is experiencing budgetary cutbacks.
Gary Orso was the County Assessor-Clerk-Recorder for Riverside County and lives in Encinitas.