Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to KMET fourteen ninety am, ABC News Radio and
the Southern California Business Report with the Vett Walker, a
show dedicated to highlighting successful Southern California businesses and the
people behind them.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
A welcome and thank you for joining Southern California Business
Report on ABC News and talks KMET fourteen ninety AM,
ninety eight point one FM and km E t TV.
I'm Evet Walker live blasting our signal from the center
of Southern California, serving a population of over twenty five million.
Get us crystal clear and on demand by downloading the
(00:39):
free live streaming app on Google Play and the Apple
App Store. As always, a huge shout out to the
team Mitch, Bill and Sean I love you guys, and
to our special advisory committee that can be found at
www dot scbr talk dot com forward Slash Advisory Committee.
(01:00):
Click on the link and learn about the remarkable leaders
doing the work. And of course, speaking of remarkable leaders,
I am absolutely overjoyed to introduce Miss Josie Gonzalez San
Bernardino County Assessor, Recorder and County Clerk is a pioneering
leader whose public service has left a lasting mark on
(01:22):
our community. Elected in twenty twenty four, she swiftly advanced
modernization efforts and improved public service. Previously, as fifth District Supervisor,
she spearheaded the county's acclaimed initiative to end veteran homelessness
and championed affordable housing, early childhood development, and public health.
(01:42):
As Assessor, Josie Safeguard's Proposition thirteen ensures fair homeowner relief
and leads extensive outreach to seniors, veterans, and new homeowners.
The first Latina to serve on both the Fontana City
Council and Board of Supervisors, Josie's leaderhip blend's practical insight, compassion,
(02:03):
and steadfast dedication to taxpayer fairness, earning her a reputation
for integrity and excellence. Thank you for being with us today, Josie.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Hello, Hello, event. It's wonderful to be here with a
great opportunity to see you again and to be able
to share information that's going on here in the offices
of the Assessor, Recorder, County Clerk, and Archives. It's never
often enough that I get to see you, let alone
be able to have an opportunity to share information with
(02:36):
our tax payers, with our voters, the residents of this
great inland empire.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Well, you know, I am just it's always an honor
to have you to hear you speak. From the first
time I heard you over ten years ago, I can
still remember the passion, the dedication, and the sheer will
that you expressed yourself, and it has absolutely left an
impression on me. I'm so to have you today, Josie.
So let's start with the basics. Nine months into your
(03:05):
role as the Assessor, Recorder, county Clerk and archiver for
San Bardino County, how do you define the responsibilities of
your office.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
The responsibilities are great. The opportunity is beyond beyond beautiful
to serve in this capacity to learn the intricacies of
people's lives as they connect through vital records with our
recording department, on making sure that people are treated fairly,
(03:43):
that appraisals, valuations of their home are things that they
can trust, that what we say is trustworthy and that
it's fair, and that it's equitable across the board. These
type of opportunities are very well hidden between the pages
of our lives, and it's not until you actually need
(04:06):
a document or you are in a lawsuit or you're
in probate, or you want to create a trust the
will and LLC that you truly come close to the
magnitude of the work that is done within these offices.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
It's, you know, quite an impactful and large responsibility to
hold in your hands. Right and so, with nine hundred
and thirty five thousand properties under your jurisdiction, what is
the protocol for determining property values each year?
Speaker 3 (04:40):
The protocol is determined by the state Board of Equalization.
We have a number of different approaches. It's not a
one size fits all. Many of our property owners think
that we go by comps. Where is a comparison a
comp comparable price for a comparable size home or business. No,
(05:04):
there are many factors on for example, what it is
in the surrounding area a house, for example, out in
the middle of the desert for a bedroom to bath,
I'll say one acre lot and I'm being generous now
according to curtain square footage lot sizes, and the same
home would have a very different value. Let's say in
(05:28):
the city of Fontana or city of Rancho, or Ontario,
even two or three blocks away, that same house would
have a different value relative to sound barriers or lack thereof,
close to the freeway, close to industrial, close to transportation,
perhaps closer to downtown in commercial accessibility. So all of
(05:52):
these factors come in to play, and that's why our
appraisers take up long time to be trained. We have
a lot of oversight to ensure that fair and equitable
approach for each valuation.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
And so each valuation is going to determine what the
tax base is for the property tax of each property
owner every year. Can you walk us through how property
tax funds from San Bardino County are distributed among state,
federal and local agencies.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
Absolutely, my offices not only assess value, but we also
record said values. Once all of that is done, we
send that information to the Auditor Controller, Treasure tax collector.
That's mister Enson Mason. In looking at our government and
(06:53):
seeing how well our forefathers program to designed us to
work in a check and balance system, we then are
able to keep valuations on one end and the checks
and balance of sending out the property tax statements out
(07:15):
in another department. So I work in unism with the Auditor, Controller,
Treasure tax collector. He then in turn knows and we
are able to take all of these things mutually into consideration.
Where the water districts are, what school districts are within
(07:36):
what precincts if you will very clearly identified areas in which,
as I said, water districts, school districts, fire districts, special districts.
There are any number of special districts that fall under
(07:58):
a specific tax code that has been passed by the
local residents. This is not county wide. What one water
district receives in payment relative to their running their operations
is different from another. All of these are brought about
by decisions that have been put on the ballot by
(08:21):
respective cities.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Wow, I didn't realize that each city had their own
unique structure on how these tax disbursements were initiated. That
is very enlightening. Thank you for sharing that.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Absolutely, and it's described and I itemize on every property
tax statement so that the voter knows, the taxpayer knows
exactly where their money is going within the area that
they live.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
That's wonderful. So your office handles an astonishing one million
transactions annually. What does your staffing structure look like to
manage this type of workload.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
We have honor about three hundred employees. These employees are
dedicated professionals who know the responsibility of making sure that
our information that is, as I said, shared with ATC
(09:20):
is correct. They are the professionals. They do this on
a daily basis, year after year. Their training is something
that I'm very, very supportive of. I recently spoke before
the State Board of Equalization board members and I stress
to them the value of being able to have updated
(09:43):
policies and procedures, making sure we have training and the
kind of updated manuals that we need. These standards and
training mechanisms are a must for us in order to
be able to provide the kind of service as you state,
(10:04):
that is necessary in order again to have the tax
pay your feel they're being treated fairly, there's equity across
the board and that they can rely on the work
that is being done. So it's really the over three
hundred employees within my offices that truly are the economic
(10:25):
churning machine of efficiencies.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
That's remarkable. Over three hundred dedicated, a seasoned team members
that know exactly what to do that are safeguarding this
information and know how to distribute it and use it
to the mandates that are required by the office and
the agencies that rely on this information. It sounds so overwhelming,
(10:51):
but sounds like you have a lock on it. What
safeguards are in place to protect against fraud in property
records and transactions? I know there were a few things
of policies that had come online, but what currently do
you have?
Speaker 3 (11:06):
Well, I will tell you that currently we have AB
thirteen thirty seven. It is an information it is it
is it specifically focuses on fraud. It is an Information
Practice Act. Otherwise we call it IPA. It's a reform act.
It expands the definition of covered, of covered. How should
(11:33):
I say entities that in this IPA are included within
local agencies? And what does all of that mean? It
means that it prevents information collected from being collected, that
we collect, from being used for unintended or secondary purposes
(11:55):
without consent. Down to earth basic every day explanation, it
means that people who are elected officials, who are police officers,
who hold any kind of an office in a special
district or an agency, whether they're appointed or they are elected,
(12:17):
that they we have the responsibility to protect them by redacting,
by forbidding, putting certain should I say, certain codes that
will immediately inform our employees that that information should not
(12:40):
be shared given out with anyone. The problem with that, unfortunately,
is that we don't know well, I should say, we
know every two years there are elections, There is a
recycling of individuals in many different offices, and it is
extremely difficult for us to know who is still in office,
(13:04):
who is who is being elected getting into office. And additionally,
as an underliner, it also mandates that we include their spouses,
their children, and anyone living in the home. That is
going to be a monumental task. And so I ask
(13:25):
even now through your program, to be able to disperse
information in which these individuals are welcome to call our office,
welcome to come in and fill out a form that
we can immediately provide them that protection relative to fraud.
I will tell you that we have a AB fourteen
(13:46):
sixty six, which is a redacting type of anti discriminatory
type of a responsibility that restricts us through cognants and
recorded property documents by forcing them I should say, forcing
mandating us to redact all those old redlining situations that
(14:11):
took place in the past. We also have a partnership
with the District Attorney Jason Anderson, in which any time
there is any grant deed activity, any property transfer, any
refinance that comes through our offices and gets recorded, we
(14:32):
immediately share this information with the District Attorney's office. He
sends out a notice a letter to these property owners
asking them, have you recently bought or sold property? Have
you refined? Are you aware that there has been some
activity on your grant deed title? If you have, please
(14:57):
call this number. I am right now urging people, and
I am including this new line item where in the
past it was not included to include email. Because we
have snail mail and with email, we can immediately, within
the same day, be able to contact those property owners
(15:18):
notify them of any activity that may or may not
be fraudulent, but definitely addresses their concerns. If you will
to fight against fraud.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
You know, these are exceptional programs to cut back on fraud.
Interfacing with the DA to have that check and balance
and say, hey, there's been something going on with your deed?
Is this you which is wonderful, but Josie, can you
also please reiterate the protected groups of people that should
reach out to you to ensure that they are flagged
(15:54):
for having their information protected under the special categories. Please
highlight that again because it's very important and I want
to make sure that all of our listeners and viewers
are very clear on who those protected people are.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
That is AB thirteen thirty seven. They are welcome to
contact my office. I will make sure that immediately. Even
if they don't contact my office, they can walk in.
We have the forms on the first floor. They can
easily be accessed. They can call, as I said, to
make sure that we have their number. We can send
(16:32):
out the form. We have the form online that is
really really good. People can go to SB COUNTYARC dot
gov and please avail yourselves of all of this information.
It is fingertips away and it will keep you safe.
We know that many of our safety agencies have been targeted.
(16:56):
We know how it is in politics. Someone may misunderstand
something that is said and they can become a target unknowingly,
they or their family, and we want to be able
to keep them safe. So please contact my offices anytime.
Go online and we'd be happy to assist anyone.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
That is a wonderful policy that you've adopted. But also
there are many protections that create unfunded mandates such as
the redaction of social security numbers and certain property owner information.
How do you balance privacy and transparency requirements in that aspect.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
It is very difficult. We do it regardless. We spend
every penny we have to ensure that those protections are
in place. But I will tell you, when the economy
is healthy, the Reporter's office is the one that makes
(17:56):
the funds, brings in the money, and pays for or
many of the duties within the assessors, within the archives,
and within the county clerk's offices. The problem is that
right now in the current economy, we're in a little
(18:17):
bit of a jelly roll. We kind of wiggle this
way and then it looks like it's getting better, getting improved,
and we jiggle our way over here. But the fact
is that overall we know that the economy is a
little bit unstable and on a downward slope. So we
want to be able to again make sure we're able
(18:40):
to provide these services. We still have funding from years past,
not much, but I will tell you that this year
I will be going before the Board of Supervisors and
I will be asking for additional funds to ensure that
we are able to carry out all of the duties
(19:01):
responsibilities that we have from the State Board of Equalization,
but also that we address all of the needs of
our tax payers here as they become aware of opportunities
that they can avail themselves off to protect themselves.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Absolutely, I love that you are a true advocate through
and through a champion of the people. You have been
since day one, and that's something I truly value about you.
And you know one of the important elements that I
know you want to share when people go to the
county assessor's office, to the Recorder's office, to the cleric's office,
why is it necessary for individuals to present identification to
(19:41):
look up property information in San Brandino County.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
Again, going back to the concern over fraud. In the past,
we have had people who, for one reason or another,
intend to commit fraud by pulling information and on properties
that belong to someone else, someone who may be going
through a hardship, have had a death in the family,
(20:08):
maybe disconnected if you will, from the everyday actions of
keeping tabs on their business. These people come in and
were able to get a grant, a copy of a grant,
d get the name, an address, and information that was
(20:28):
recorded with our offices and use that to not only
create false IDs, but to go and procure loans, procure
refinancing on a home, and they would get the funds
walk away. These people with these names did not exist.
(20:52):
And when the bank begins to for close, it is
the property owner's very first time to become aware that
there has been a fraudulent transaction and they now are
being foreclosed on and the bank is going to take
possession of their home. Now in saying this, that is
(21:16):
tragic enough, and it has happened in a very real
sense across the country. I would say more so here
in California that I would state because this is where
I am, and this is where I am aware of
it happening. But the ugly side of the coin, the
other side of the coin, I should say, is that
(21:37):
many times the property owners themselves will create a fraud
against their own property, go and pull money, refine what
have you, and then they will simply say, we don't
(21:59):
know who did it. We're homeless, we are losing our house,
or we've lost our home, we had to move out
and we're living in a car because someone committed fraud.
The district Attorney's office has his hands full in how
should I say, discerning and looking through research and documentation
(22:24):
who truly is a victim and who is a criminal? Wow?
And that is one of the sad situations that we
face again in between the pages of our everyday lives.
These things occur, and fraud is alive and well, and
we need to be able to have the tools to
(22:46):
fight it and reduce the amount of victims.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
That is absolutely, I mean astonishing that people would basically
commit crimes against themselves in order to you know, obviously
take money. But you would think that with today's.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
Family members, family members who know certain personal information about
their relatives will also end up doing these unscrupulous acts.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Oh my godness, Well let's hold that thought because we're
going to hit up on a break, Josie. Thank you
so much. Yvette Walker here with ABC News and Talks
Southern California Business Report here today with Josie Gonzalez. Samarandino
County Assessor, Recorder, County Clerk, and archivist is a pioneering
leader whose public service has left a lasting mark on
(23:38):
our community. Elected in twenty twenty four, she swiftly advanced
modernization efforts and improved public service. We'll hear more about
it when we return.
Speaker 3 (24:07):
Hi.
Speaker 4 (24:08):
I'm Dana Rademaker with MGR Property Management. A lot of
people wonder about the value that property management has for
their property. Property management can include all property types, including residential, commercial,
and h way. It is valuable because property managers are
experienced in what can happen at your property, where where liabilities.
(24:28):
We're able to do predictive and preventive maintenance. We know
what is coming up with the changes in the weather,
the seasons, how old certain aspects or different capital projects.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
That your property are.
Speaker 4 (24:40):
We're able to best negotiate contract pricing, legalities with your tenants,
and anything else that you may need to ensure that
you're getting the full value of your property. If you're
interested in speaking with the representative at MGR Property Management
regarding your property management needs, you can visit our website
at mgrreal estate dot com, or you can call our
number at Area TI zero and I by eight one
(25:02):
six six zero zero to be connected with the representative.
Speaker 5 (25:08):
Ontario International Airport is onto a better way to fly
with over sixty five daily NonStop flight to more than
twenty major destinations and the easiest airport experience in southern California.
Visit fly Onto dot com slash Ontario to learn more
about Ontario International Airport Today.
Speaker 6 (25:27):
Cal State Sammernardino is home to the only School of
Entrepreneurship in California with globally ranked degree programs. You can
start your journey today to become a successful entrepreneur. Learn
more and connect at e ntre dot c SUSB dot edu.
Speaker 7 (25:45):
Hi, I'm Samordino County Sheriff Shannondikas. If you're looking to
start an exciting career in law enforcement and make a
difference in your community, we are hiring dispatchers, nurses, deputies, laterals,
and many more. For a complete list of our jobs
and more information, visit Sheriff's.
Speaker 8 (26:01):
The University of Laverne is rated first in California for
alumni satisfaction. Learn more about accelerated programs offered online and
on campus in Laverne, Irvine, Ontario, Burbank, or College of
the Canyons. Visit go dot Laverne dot edu the University
of Laverne go dot Laverne dot edu.
Speaker 9 (26:22):
We are the Empire Strikers, the professional sports team of
the Inland Empire. We are a fast actioned and community
inspired pro indoor soccer team. Our mission is to inspire
the Empire. Home games, community events, watch parties, and youth
camps are all back. Professional indoor soccer is back. Join
(26:48):
us and come watch the greatest show on turf at
Toyota Arena or on Twitch. Visit www dot Theempire Strikers
dot com for more and any in information.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Welcome back everyone. Evett Walker with ABC News and Talks
Southern California Business Report here today with Josie Gonzalez, San
Bernardino County Assessor, recorder, clerk, and archivist, is a pioneering
leader whose public service has left a lasting mark on
our community. Elected in twenty twenty four, she swiftly advanced
(27:28):
modernization efforts and improved public service for our community. Thank
you so much for being with us today.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
Josie, absolutely thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
A bit so prior to the break, you spoke about
the fraud that is being exacted on property owners, not
only other property owners, but onto themselves, onto loved ones.
What is the impact of property and deeed fraud on
homeowners in San Bernandino County?
Speaker 3 (27:59):
Pleasics, Please repeat that I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
So Prior to the break, you talked about how fraud
is impacting the community, the different ways that people enact
fraudulent activities, whether it's on themselves, on a loved one,
on friends or family, just people that have access to
these records that can create fraudulent contracts or deals or
(28:23):
loans with banks. What exactly if do you have an
idea of what the impact of property fraud is in
the County of San Maranentino.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
The impact is litigation many times, loss of home, loss
of confidence, loss of trust. Litigation is lengthy, detailed. How
do you fight How do you prove a lie when
you're a true victim and you're saying it wasn't me,
(28:55):
I didn't do it. I don't know who did it
I because you end up owing the money. The money
is gone, has has been dispersed by the bank to
whatever individual did this. The homeless. It impacts homelessness in
(29:17):
many cases. I'm sure it destroys marriages, families. As I stated,
sometimes it's your friends because they have information that you've
shared with them, because you've known them for many years.
Whatever the reasons are, the impacts are great, and we're
(29:38):
working diligently to protect the property owners. Is it an inconvenience?
Speaker 1 (29:44):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (29:44):
Yes, it is. Even here in my offices. No one
can come in and have a meeting with me unless
they are the property owner and I can verify it
through our records. And or if they come representing a
(30:05):
property owner, they must bring me proof, written proof, and
I will many times call that property owner, or there
can be some type of a notarized form that they
bring and they have to have this proof in order
to speak on behalf of the property owner. And then
and only then will I share pertinent information with them.
(30:29):
It is an inconvenience. Many people don't like it, but again,
these are the inconveniences that have to be in place
in order to safeguard the trust and the security of
people's homes and the trust that they must have in
our offices to keep their property and their documents safe.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
So it's very interesting. I know you're only nine months
into your tenure, but have you seen a downward trend
in fraud now that you're connected to the DA's office
where they're cross referencing these requests for you know, information
through your office, as well as the need to present
identification when they go to pool documents.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
I think that it's a it's a unilateral reduction of
these type of cases and impacts, being that the Assembly
bills that are pasted are statewide and that there is
a statewide effort. Every district attorney, I believe, within within
(31:34):
the realm of their responsibilities, are addressing these things. And
I will say that in the northern part of the
state of California, it's logical to think that there is
less fraud, they have less of a property turnover. Here
in the Inland Empire, Southern California, southern central California, we
(31:57):
are a hub. We have a businesses, whether their industrial, commercial,
residential development taking place constantly. So the title land titles
are many times changed over, sometimes twice a week, because
one person will buy it and then another person immediately
(32:21):
they already have a new buyer, so it's just a flipping,
if you will. So it's not uncommon for us to
have more of an income impact and more of a
responsibility to address these issues. So, yes, it is a
little bit of a hardship, but I think it's mostly
concentrated here in the south central area of our state,
(32:42):
and we're working really hard to make sure we reduce
these numbers and protect our people.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
I love that. And so in addition to these efforts,
you've also advocated for adding email addresses to property transaction records.
What websites and protections does this provide for homeowners?
Speaker 3 (32:58):
Well, it allows us for immediately no senail mail because
on the mail we have to send it over to
the district attorney's office. They've got to read it, they've
got a format, they have a letter to go out.
It's got to be addressed, sent out, and by the
time what is it, two or three days, by the
(33:18):
time it gets into the mailbox of the property owner,
then anything could have happened. If we have an email
address daily, we can send out these alerts and be
able to get that information to the property owner much faster.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
Right, So, moving on to Prop thirteen legislation, Are there
any legislative efforts or bills related to Prop thirteen that
affect inter generational transfer of property tax rates in Sanmonidino County.
Speaker 3 (33:52):
I'm so glad you asked this question. I am going
to tell you that it is a heartache to realize
what Proposition nineteen did to Proposition thirteen, that intergenerational wealth
(34:12):
has been I would, for lack of a better word,
has been assassinated. It has been deleted, and I wholesoly,
with my whole heart, believe that if the voters had
been told exactly what Proposition nineteen would do, they would
(34:36):
never have passed it, because what has happened is that
intergenerational wealth is no longer that viable option that parents,
grandparents have to pass on their hard earned properties, everything
(35:01):
that they ever wanted to leave behind for their children,
let alone their grandchildren. What has happened is that through
prop nineteen, you can only leave your child your home.
If that child is living in the home on January
(35:24):
first of the year that the parent dies, they must
occupy the home as their primary residence. Where before you
could leave your property to your children, there is a
max of one million dollars in which you don't have
(35:46):
to pay taxes, and nowadays one home in many of
our cities, let alone in the future, are going to
surpass that. And consequently, what Proposition thirteen once ensured for us,
and that is the stability of property values and the
(36:12):
whole concept of keeping people in their homes has been jeopardized.
And the people, the taxpayers, don't rightly know, I have
a situation in which I'm a parent. Elderly parent recently
went and wanted to surprise his four sons with the
(36:36):
fact that he was leaving them their home. He took
the home out of the trust that it was in,
came into our offices and put it in their names,
not realizing that the children live in their homes, their
(36:56):
respective homes. They're grown, they're married, they have children of
their own, and that now that house has been triggered
for reassessment at current property values at twenty twenty five
property values instead of the original Prop thirteen tax rate
(37:19):
at which this gentleman that price of that home, that
value of that home that he purchased it what fifty
sixty years ago?
Speaker 2 (37:27):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 3 (37:28):
Consequently, now the four children have to pay the taxes
on the repraise the revaluation of this home. And there
is there is. It's a shock. And are there ways
to retract this if people act quickly, if they do
(37:52):
this within a reasonable amount of time, They'll say thirty days.
But I will work with anyone within a reasonable sixty
to thirty to ninety day timetable. But you cannot come
back three four years later and say, oh, I need
you know to redact this. I need to take all
(38:14):
the paperwork back and put it back in the trust
because I didn't know. No, people have a responsibility to
be updated as to their mandated duty and taking care
of their property. But I do, I do want to
give considerations. The problem will be that whether it's thirty
days or ninety days, the Statemard of Equalization laws are
(38:39):
very clear, you will have to pay the praised Oh
my goodness, that new value regardless. So we need to
make sure our property owners are informed and that they
understand that we must. It's some point come up with
(39:02):
a new proposition that addresses this huge black, gaping hole
with Improp thirteen that Prop nineteen now forces us to address.
I don't think we've discussed last week. As I said,
(39:22):
I spoke before the State Board of Equalization board members
spoke about this very thing, and I told them that
multi generational wealth is in jeopardy because of this. We
have people who have businesses and want to pass this
business on to their son, and the son to his
or her son, and we can't do that. And it
(39:45):
is many people own more than one property. Many people
have dreams of adding on to what they're leaving behind, developers,
construction companies. It just impacted every facet that we call
leaving any multi generational wealth to advance the future of
(40:08):
our generations in any form. So it is important that
people become informed, that people go to an attorney, that
they a trust attorney, approbate attorney. What have you say,
I need some advice, I need to avail myself of
the right way to approach leaving an inheritance.
Speaker 2 (40:30):
That is such important information. Thank you so much for
sharing that update, because, as you noted, this poor gentleman
thinking he's doing a great thing for his children in
certain this man, well, what a surprise it must have
been to get that new tax assessment and that new
tax burden on them. Oh my gosh. But it's wonderful
(40:52):
that you're sharing that and that you're giving people a
grace period, an extended grace period in fact, thirty sixty
ninety days to reverse and reach tract these efforts. So
I hope everyone's listening to this, Everyone in our county
is listening to this, because that is a tremendous negative
impact that can have long term implications, Like you said,
(41:12):
cross generational implications. When you're trying to do something good
and trying to save up and trying to pass something down,
but the reverse occurs, or you don't know how to
implement what your expectations are, so you advice for an attorney,
probate for a trust. Thank you so much for that, Josie,
Oh my god, that's overwhelming.
Speaker 3 (41:33):
Yes, and that highlights the value that Proposition thirteen continues
to provide for homeowners. We need to protect Proposition thirteen.
It is one of the last bastions of security that
we have that protect homeowners, especially seniors, people who stay
(41:55):
in their home all of their life. Imagine if they're
if we didn't have Prop. Thirteen to be able to
help them and to have a one percent annual increase
on the original property tax rate. That is critical. That
is a safeguard and Proposition thirteen does provide us with that.
Speaker 2 (42:17):
Well, that's wonderful. I'm gonna get on the horn with
a probate attorney and a trust attorney to make sure
everything is in order, because these are some very enlightening
and daunting and scary prospects quite frankly, right on the
heels of Halloween. Nonetheless, talk about scary news right absoluteliness.
(42:40):
So with that said, let's break down the different segments
of property in the market in San Bonandino County and
what does that look like and how is that evolving.
Speaker 3 (42:52):
The different segments of marketing. Wow, as you know, we
have a shortage of housing, single family homes, high density developments.
We have many of our children, grandchildren moving away because
(43:14):
owning a home, buying a home is out of their reach,
out of their pocket range, and they're looking for a
life that they can begin to establish and grow their
own family. So are we looking at these impacts? Yes,
For as long as I can remember, and as you
well know, environmental impacts, Environmental Protection Act, whether it's soft
(43:40):
go AQMD or SEQUA or any other environmental impact have
dictated very strict overside guidelines that need to be met
in order for development to take place. These have definitely
(44:00):
impacted the shortage of homes. When it comes to a
commercial again, we know right now that commercial is again
inside that little jelly road. Things have changed post COVID.
What was once a thriving mall a commercial center now
(44:22):
is being overshadowed by online commerce. And we know that,
and how do we know that because now we have
a huge surgeence of warehouses, people get upset. The public
gets upset. They don't want to live next to a warehouse.
(44:43):
They don't understand why there's so many. The problem is
that with all of the online orders came a great
deal of truck traffic congestion. Because we have the Port
of Los Angeles, Port of Long Beach, that where all
the goods come in to anywhere west of the Mississippi River,
(45:06):
so we're right here. They have to come through us.
We are the goods movement corridor, and who's ordering most
of these products. We are. So what happened to try
to mitigate that traffic congestion. Warehouses started to become the
thing to build. The square footage land went up for sale,
(45:30):
went from oh heavens, from a dollar I'm gonna exaggerate,
from a dollar fifty a square foot to thirty dollars.
Speaker 2 (45:38):
Oh my gosh, and.
Speaker 3 (45:40):
Millions of dollars changed hands because these warehouses needed to
have a place to store their inventory locally, where they
could use smaller trucks to deliver the inventory and be
able to mitigate and demonstrate that they were reducing the
(46:05):
truck traffic congestion. We have railroad junctions, we have airports,
we have freeways that intersect all of our cities from
the valley to the high desert, from the coast all
the way. As I said, to west of the Mississippi,
we're it, We're the hub. And consequently, we have a
(46:28):
great deal of change coming again. Post COVID. Many of
the office square footage has now gone empty. Many employees
are teleworking and that has changed the demand for office space.
Many of the businesses that were standalone businesses now are moving,
(46:54):
believe it or not, into warehouses and they are manufact ucturing.
They are print shops, they're auto shops. There's all kinds
of businesses that are going indoors that now necessitate my
offices to be looking at the industrial use in a
(47:17):
different way. There is no zoning that per se in
which industrial zones are now money generating sales, tax generating engines.
I say all of this to you because, as I said,
we're in a revolution of change. We have now cities
(47:41):
who understand that unless they are able to accommodate and
partner with developers, that they will not be able to
attract the pedestrian traffic that they would like to have.
So what are they doing. They're going into partnerships with
developers where developers build the project, whether it's a high
(48:07):
density a residential project, or it's a commercial project, and
the city comes in and they build the parking and
consequently there is a symbiotic relationship being created between cities
and developers that bring mutual benefit. But at the same time,
(48:33):
they create a special property use that has never existed,
which makes it necessary for me to go to the
State Board of Equalization and say, we need to look
at these changes. We need to look at not only
what technology is doing to us and what we're doing
(48:56):
because of it, but we need to have a reaction
hoity check on how our cities and our counties are
changing to adapt to these new norms that totally are
a surprise and different from anything we have on the books.
Speaker 2 (49:15):
Well, that is very exciting, and we know that it
takes a workforce to make this go forward. So share
with us what workforce development initiatives has your office launch
to better serve the county's growing population and evolving needs.
Speaker 3 (49:31):
I'll tell you I worked closely with Human Resources department.
We have come up this last summer came up with
one of the largest internship projects that we've ever had.
We had six different ones from high school kids, community
college kids, university students. We had people who'd been looking
(49:55):
for jobs but didn't know that we even exist, that
we have the kinds of jobs that are relative to
real estate agencies that we deal with, escrow companies with banks,
that ultimately your background, that that you are having or
you've experienced, can become an asset to getting a job
(50:20):
with us. I have hired quite a good number I
would venture to say probably fifteen people since I have
come on board in January. I have also fired people.
Now I am. I am a stickler for production, for respect,
(50:42):
and for kindness, for efficiencies. I want to create a
safe and healthy and respectful workforce, and I believe that
many of our employees have been have been happy to
see this new inclusion and cooperation. And consequently, I'm attracting
(51:04):
a lot of new employees and I've already started on
my on my new recruitment for twenty twenty six. I've
got my first intern and I think that he's going
to be very excited when I tap him to be
the first one coming on board and.
Speaker 2 (51:22):
That is wonderful. That's so exciting, and maybe he'll hear
it here.
Speaker 3 (51:25):
First, Hey, I talked to him on Sunday and I said,
you're coming. You're awesome. Austin say you're coming, You're coming
on board.
Speaker 2 (51:34):
I love it. That's wonderful, Josie. So, looking toward the future,
what are your primary goals for improving the services provided
by the Assessor, Recorder and County Clerk's Office owned by
the way the archivist as well.
Speaker 3 (51:49):
I will tell you my primary goal, as I stated earlier,
I must have updated standard and training workshops standards. This
is the standard, high standard. We want you top shelf
and we will train you to do that. Policies and procedures.
(52:13):
What are the policies, What are the procedures? How do
we best incorporate technology modern technology and do it in
a way that is done with privacy, with efficiency, proficiency, effectiveness,
and that we delete obsolete redundancy procedures. I believe that
(52:41):
we need to be able to look at inspiring our employees,
making them feel important, helping them to understand the critical
economic engineers that they are. I believe that we want
to ensure that they trust technology, that they know that
(53:05):
there are efficiencies that can be introduced that will help
them to lighten up their heavy workload. By learning and
trusting that technology can be used safely and efficiently to
better the workplace. That is key. I know that there's
(53:27):
a lot of insecurities. If you will, when you don't
have proper training, you make more mistakes. I want to
avoid that. I want smart, efficient, lean engineers working in
my offices, and the way I can do that is
by respecting them, giving them the tools they need to
(53:50):
exercise their job, and to give them pride in what
they do. Some of these things we can do with AI.
Other things we as human beings must be able to
do for each other and with each other, because ultimately,
we know that we live more time in our workplace
(54:10):
than we do at home. We get to go visit
our home at night, and we leave in the morning
with a beautiful attitude that we have a work family
that we're looking forward to seeing that day. That event
creates efficiencies that I'm looking for.
Speaker 2 (54:28):
Oh my goodness, well with you at the helm, Josie. Obviously,
this is something that I'm so excited to see transform
and to see come to life within your office. And
future opportunities as all of the response and services through
your efforts are evolving to meet the region's evolving needs
(54:48):
as well. You are an absolute inspiration. Josie. Thank you
for making the time to join us today.
Speaker 3 (54:54):
Absolutely, thank you for having me. Look forward to seeing
you again.
Speaker 2 (54:58):
Yes, absolutely, we will catch up soon. For everybody listening,
don't forget to find us on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Check us out on SCBR talk dot com, and don't
miss my conversation with Janice Rutherford Limb from Girl Scout
Creek cleanups to shaping state policy. Janus's journey is a
(55:18):
tapestry of service and vision. A Summa cum laud scholar
turned legislative force, she reimagined if she reimagined the Inland
Empire's future, championing education, innovation, and community wellbeing. Next week,
Emerging from poverty and hardship, Cesar Navarete has become a
beacon of hope for the Inland Empire's most vulnerable children.
(55:41):
For over twenty years, he has transformed nonprofits and empowered
future generations. As President and CEO of the Children's Fund,
he leads with compassion forging partnerships that break cycles of despair.
His journey from struggle to stewardship embodies resis, zillience, and vision,
proving that Cesar Navarrete is not just a leader, but
(56:04):
the difference he once needed. You do not want to
miss it. We will see you all next week.
Welcome to KMET fourteen ninety am, ABC News Radio and
the Southern California Business Report with the Vett Walker, a
show dedicated to highlighting successful Southern California businesses and the
people behind them.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
A welcome and thank you for joining Southern California Business
Report on ABC News and talks KMET fourteen ninety AM,
ninety eight point one FM and km E t TV.
I'm Evet Walker live blasting our signal from the center
of Southern California, serving a population of over twenty five million.
Get us crystal clear and on demand by downloading the
(00:39):
free live streaming app on Google Play and the Apple
App Store. As always, a huge shout out to the
team Mitch, Bill and Sean I love you guys, and
to our special advisory committee that can be found at
www dot scbr talk dot com forward Slash Advisory Committee.
(01:00):
Click on the link and learn about the remarkable leaders
doing the work. And of course, speaking of remarkable leaders,
I am absolutely overjoyed to introduce Miss Josie Gonzalez San
Bernardino County Assessor, Recorder and County Clerk is a pioneering
leader whose public service has left a lasting mark on
(01:22):
our community. Elected in twenty twenty four, she swiftly advanced
modernization efforts and improved public service. Previously, as fifth District Supervisor,
she spearheaded the county's acclaimed initiative to end veteran homelessness
and championed affordable housing, early childhood development, and public health.
(01:42):
As Assessor, Josie Safeguard's Proposition thirteen ensures fair homeowner relief
and leads extensive outreach to seniors, veterans, and new homeowners.
The first Latina to serve on both the Fontana City
Council and Board of Supervisors, Josie's leaderhip blend's practical insight, compassion,
(02:03):
and steadfast dedication to taxpayer fairness, earning her a reputation
for integrity and excellence. Thank you for being with us today, Josie.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Hello, Hello, event. It's wonderful to be here with a
great opportunity to see you again and to be able
to share information that's going on here in the offices
of the Assessor, Recorder, County Clerk, and Archives. It's never
often enough that I get to see you, let alone
be able to have an opportunity to share information with
(02:36):
our tax payers, with our voters, the residents of this
great inland empire.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Well, you know, I am just it's always an honor
to have you to hear you speak. From the first
time I heard you over ten years ago, I can
still remember the passion, the dedication, and the sheer will
that you expressed yourself, and it has absolutely left an
impression on me. I'm so to have you today, Josie.
So let's start with the basics. Nine months into your
(03:05):
role as the Assessor, Recorder, county Clerk and archiver for
San Bardino County, how do you define the responsibilities of
your office.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
The responsibilities are great. The opportunity is beyond beyond beautiful
to serve in this capacity to learn the intricacies of
people's lives as they connect through vital records with our
recording department, on making sure that people are treated fairly,
(03:43):
that appraisals, valuations of their home are things that they
can trust, that what we say is trustworthy and that
it's fair, and that it's equitable across the board. These
type of opportunities are very well hidden between the pages
of our lives, and it's not until you actually need
(04:06):
a document or you are in a lawsuit or you're
in probate, or you want to create a trust the
will and LLC that you truly come close to the
magnitude of the work that is done within these offices.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
It's, you know, quite an impactful and large responsibility to
hold in your hands. Right and so, with nine hundred
and thirty five thousand properties under your jurisdiction, what is
the protocol for determining property values each year?
Speaker 3 (04:40):
The protocol is determined by the state Board of Equalization.
We have a number of different approaches. It's not a
one size fits all. Many of our property owners think
that we go by comps. Where is a comparison a
comp comparable price for a comparable size home or business. No,
(05:04):
there are many factors on for example, what it is
in the surrounding area a house, for example, out in
the middle of the desert for a bedroom to bath,
I'll say one acre lot and I'm being generous now
according to curtain square footage lot sizes, and the same
home would have a very different value. Let's say in
(05:28):
the city of Fontana or city of Rancho, or Ontario,
even two or three blocks away, that same house would
have a different value relative to sound barriers or lack thereof,
close to the freeway, close to industrial, close to transportation,
perhaps closer to downtown in commercial accessibility. So all of
(05:52):
these factors come in to play, and that's why our
appraisers take up long time to be trained. We have
a lot of oversight to ensure that fair and equitable
approach for each valuation.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
And so each valuation is going to determine what the
tax base is for the property tax of each property
owner every year. Can you walk us through how property
tax funds from San Bardino County are distributed among state,
federal and local agencies.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
Absolutely, my offices not only assess value, but we also
record said values. Once all of that is done, we
send that information to the Auditor Controller, Treasure tax collector.
That's mister Enson Mason. In looking at our government and
(06:53):
seeing how well our forefathers program to designed us to
work in a check and balance system, we then are
able to keep valuations on one end and the checks
and balance of sending out the property tax statements out
(07:15):
in another department. So I work in unism with the Auditor, Controller,
Treasure tax collector. He then in turn knows and we
are able to take all of these things mutually into consideration.
Where the water districts are, what school districts are within
(07:36):
what precincts if you will very clearly identified areas in which,
as I said, water districts, school districts, fire districts, special districts.
There are any number of special districts that fall under
(07:58):
a specific tax code that has been passed by the
local residents. This is not county wide. What one water
district receives in payment relative to their running their operations
is different from another. All of these are brought about
by decisions that have been put on the ballot by
(08:21):
respective cities.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Wow, I didn't realize that each city had their own
unique structure on how these tax disbursements were initiated. That
is very enlightening. Thank you for sharing that.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Absolutely, and it's described and I itemize on every property
tax statement so that the voter knows, the taxpayer knows
exactly where their money is going within the area that
they live.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
That's wonderful. So your office handles an astonishing one million
transactions annually. What does your staffing structure look like to
manage this type of workload.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
We have honor about three hundred employees. These employees are
dedicated professionals who know the responsibility of making sure that
our information that is, as I said, shared with ATC
(09:20):
is correct. They are the professionals. They do this on
a daily basis, year after year. Their training is something
that I'm very, very supportive of. I recently spoke before
the State Board of Equalization board members and I stress
to them the value of being able to have updated
(09:43):
policies and procedures, making sure we have training and the
kind of updated manuals that we need. These standards and
training mechanisms are a must for us in order to
be able to provide the kind of service as you state,
(10:04):
that is necessary in order again to have the tax
pay your feel they're being treated fairly, there's equity across
the board and that they can rely on the work
that is being done. So it's really the over three
hundred employees within my offices that truly are the economic
(10:25):
churning machine of efficiencies.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
That's remarkable. Over three hundred dedicated, a seasoned team members
that know exactly what to do that are safeguarding this
information and know how to distribute it and use it
to the mandates that are required by the office and
the agencies that rely on this information. It sounds so overwhelming,
(10:51):
but sounds like you have a lock on it. What
safeguards are in place to protect against fraud in property
records and transactions? I know there were a few things
of policies that had come online, but what currently do
you have?
Speaker 3 (11:06):
Well, I will tell you that currently we have AB
thirteen thirty seven. It is an information it is it
is it specifically focuses on fraud. It is an Information
Practice Act. Otherwise we call it IPA. It's a reform act.
It expands the definition of covered, of covered. How should
(11:33):
I say entities that in this IPA are included within
local agencies? And what does all of that mean? It
means that it prevents information collected from being collected, that
we collect, from being used for unintended or secondary purposes
(11:55):
without consent. Down to earth basic every day explanation, it
means that people who are elected officials, who are police officers,
who hold any kind of an office in a special
district or an agency, whether they're appointed or they are elected,
(12:17):
that they we have the responsibility to protect them by redacting,
by forbidding, putting certain should I say, certain codes that
will immediately inform our employees that that information should not
(12:40):
be shared given out with anyone. The problem with that, unfortunately,
is that we don't know well, I should say, we
know every two years there are elections, There is a
recycling of individuals in many different offices, and it is
extremely difficult for us to know who is still in office,
(13:04):
who is who is being elected getting into office. And additionally,
as an underliner, it also mandates that we include their spouses,
their children, and anyone living in the home. That is
going to be a monumental task. And so I ask
(13:25):
even now through your program, to be able to disperse
information in which these individuals are welcome to call our office,
welcome to come in and fill out a form that
we can immediately provide them that protection relative to fraud.
I will tell you that we have a AB fourteen
(13:46):
sixty six, which is a redacting type of anti discriminatory
type of a responsibility that restricts us through cognants and
recorded property documents by forcing them I should say, forcing
mandating us to redact all those old redlining situations that
(14:11):
took place in the past. We also have a partnership
with the District Attorney Jason Anderson, in which any time
there is any grant deed activity, any property transfer, any
refinance that comes through our offices and gets recorded, we
(14:32):
immediately share this information with the District Attorney's office. He
sends out a notice a letter to these property owners
asking them, have you recently bought or sold property? Have
you refined? Are you aware that there has been some
activity on your grant deed title? If you have, please
(14:57):
call this number. I am right now urging people, and
I am including this new line item where in the
past it was not included to include email. Because we
have snail mail and with email, we can immediately, within
the same day, be able to contact those property owners
(15:18):
notify them of any activity that may or may not
be fraudulent, but definitely addresses their concerns. If you will
to fight against fraud.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
You know, these are exceptional programs to cut back on fraud.
Interfacing with the DA to have that check and balance
and say, hey, there's been something going on with your deed?
Is this you which is wonderful, but Josie, can you
also please reiterate the protected groups of people that should
reach out to you to ensure that they are flagged
(15:54):
for having their information protected under the special categories. Please
highlight that again because it's very important and I want
to make sure that all of our listeners and viewers
are very clear on who those protected people are.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
That is AB thirteen thirty seven. They are welcome to
contact my office. I will make sure that immediately. Even
if they don't contact my office, they can walk in.
We have the forms on the first floor. They can
easily be accessed. They can call, as I said, to
make sure that we have their number. We can send
(16:32):
out the form. We have the form online that is
really really good. People can go to SB COUNTYARC dot
gov and please avail yourselves of all of this information.
It is fingertips away and it will keep you safe.
We know that many of our safety agencies have been targeted.
(16:56):
We know how it is in politics. Someone may misunderstand
something that is said and they can become a target unknowingly,
they or their family, and we want to be able
to keep them safe. So please contact my offices anytime.
Go online and we'd be happy to assist anyone.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
That is a wonderful policy that you've adopted. But also
there are many protections that create unfunded mandates such as
the redaction of social security numbers and certain property owner information.
How do you balance privacy and transparency requirements in that aspect.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
It is very difficult. We do it regardless. We spend
every penny we have to ensure that those protections are
in place. But I will tell you, when the economy
is healthy, the Reporter's office is the one that makes
(17:56):
the funds, brings in the money, and pays for or
many of the duties within the assessors, within the archives,
and within the county clerk's offices. The problem is that
right now in the current economy, we're in a little
(18:17):
bit of a jelly roll. We kind of wiggle this
way and then it looks like it's getting better, getting improved,
and we jiggle our way over here. But the fact
is that overall we know that the economy is a
little bit unstable and on a downward slope. So we
want to be able to again make sure we're able
(18:40):
to provide these services. We still have funding from years past,
not much, but I will tell you that this year
I will be going before the Board of Supervisors and
I will be asking for additional funds to ensure that
we are able to carry out all of the duties
(19:01):
responsibilities that we have from the State Board of Equalization,
but also that we address all of the needs of
our tax payers here as they become aware of opportunities
that they can avail themselves off to protect themselves.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Absolutely, I love that you are a true advocate through
and through a champion of the people. You have been
since day one, and that's something I truly value about you.
And you know one of the important elements that I
know you want to share when people go to the
county assessor's office, to the Recorder's office, to the cleric's office,
why is it necessary for individuals to present identification to
(19:41):
look up property information in San Brandino County.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
Again, going back to the concern over fraud. In the past,
we have had people who, for one reason or another,
intend to commit fraud by pulling information and on properties
that belong to someone else, someone who may be going
through a hardship, have had a death in the family,
(20:08):
maybe disconnected if you will, from the everyday actions of
keeping tabs on their business. These people come in and
were able to get a grant, a copy of a grant,
d get the name, an address, and information that was
(20:28):
recorded with our offices and use that to not only
create false IDs, but to go and procure loans, procure
refinancing on a home, and they would get the funds
walk away. These people with these names did not exist.
(20:52):
And when the bank begins to for close, it is
the property owner's very first time to become aware that
there has been a fraudulent transaction and they now are
being foreclosed on and the bank is going to take
possession of their home. Now in saying this, that is
(21:16):
tragic enough, and it has happened in a very real
sense across the country. I would say more so here
in California that I would state because this is where
I am, and this is where I am aware of
it happening. But the ugly side of the coin, the
other side of the coin, I should say, is that
(21:37):
many times the property owners themselves will create a fraud
against their own property, go and pull money, refine what
have you, and then they will simply say, we don't
(21:59):
know who did it. We're homeless, we are losing our house,
or we've lost our home, we had to move out
and we're living in a car because someone committed fraud.
The district Attorney's office has his hands full in how
should I say, discerning and looking through research and documentation
(22:24):
who truly is a victim and who is a criminal? Wow?
And that is one of the sad situations that we
face again in between the pages of our everyday lives.
These things occur, and fraud is alive and well, and
we need to be able to have the tools to
(22:46):
fight it and reduce the amount of victims.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
That is absolutely, I mean astonishing that people would basically
commit crimes against themselves in order to you know, obviously
take money. But you would think that with today's.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
Family members, family members who know certain personal information about
their relatives will also end up doing these unscrupulous acts.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Oh my godness, Well let's hold that thought because we're
going to hit up on a break, Josie. Thank you
so much. Yvette Walker here with ABC News and Talks
Southern California Business Report here today with Josie Gonzalez. Samarandino
County Assessor, Recorder, County Clerk, and archivist is a pioneering
leader whose public service has left a lasting mark on
(23:38):
our community. Elected in twenty twenty four, she swiftly advanced
modernization efforts and improved public service. We'll hear more about
it when we return.
Speaker 3 (24:07):
Hi.
Speaker 4 (24:08):
I'm Dana Rademaker with MGR Property Management. A lot of
people wonder about the value that property management has for
their property. Property management can include all property types, including residential, commercial,
and h way. It is valuable because property managers are
experienced in what can happen at your property, where where liabilities.
(24:28):
We're able to do predictive and preventive maintenance. We know
what is coming up with the changes in the weather,
the seasons, how old certain aspects or different capital projects.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
That your property are.
Speaker 4 (24:40):
We're able to best negotiate contract pricing, legalities with your tenants,
and anything else that you may need to ensure that
you're getting the full value of your property. If you're
interested in speaking with the representative at MGR Property Management
regarding your property management needs, you can visit our website
at mgrreal estate dot com, or you can call our
number at Area TI zero and I by eight one
(25:02):
six six zero zero to be connected with the representative.
Speaker 5 (25:08):
Ontario International Airport is onto a better way to fly
with over sixty five daily NonStop flight to more than
twenty major destinations and the easiest airport experience in southern California.
Visit fly Onto dot com slash Ontario to learn more
about Ontario International Airport Today.
Speaker 6 (25:27):
Cal State Sammernardino is home to the only School of
Entrepreneurship in California with globally ranked degree programs. You can
start your journey today to become a successful entrepreneur. Learn
more and connect at e ntre dot c SUSB dot edu.
Speaker 7 (25:45):
Hi, I'm Samordino County Sheriff Shannondikas. If you're looking to
start an exciting career in law enforcement and make a
difference in your community, we are hiring dispatchers, nurses, deputies, laterals,
and many more. For a complete list of our jobs
and more information, visit Sheriff's.
Speaker 8 (26:01):
The University of Laverne is rated first in California for
alumni satisfaction. Learn more about accelerated programs offered online and
on campus in Laverne, Irvine, Ontario, Burbank, or College of
the Canyons. Visit go dot Laverne dot edu the University
of Laverne go dot Laverne dot edu.
Speaker 9 (26:22):
We are the Empire Strikers, the professional sports team of
the Inland Empire. We are a fast actioned and community
inspired pro indoor soccer team. Our mission is to inspire
the Empire. Home games, community events, watch parties, and youth
camps are all back. Professional indoor soccer is back. Join
(26:48):
us and come watch the greatest show on turf at
Toyota Arena or on Twitch. Visit www dot Theempire Strikers
dot com for more and any in information.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Welcome back everyone. Evett Walker with ABC News and Talks
Southern California Business Report here today with Josie Gonzalez, San
Bernardino County Assessor, recorder, clerk, and archivist, is a pioneering
leader whose public service has left a lasting mark on
our community. Elected in twenty twenty four, she swiftly advanced
(27:28):
modernization efforts and improved public service for our community. Thank
you so much for being with us today.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
Josie, absolutely thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
A bit so prior to the break, you spoke about
the fraud that is being exacted on property owners, not
only other property owners, but onto themselves, onto loved ones.
What is the impact of property and deeed fraud on
homeowners in San Bernandino County?
Speaker 3 (27:59):
Pleasics, Please repeat that I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
So Prior to the break, you talked about how fraud
is impacting the community, the different ways that people enact
fraudulent activities, whether it's on themselves, on a loved one,
on friends or family, just people that have access to
these records that can create fraudulent contracts or deals or
(28:23):
loans with banks. What exactly if do you have an
idea of what the impact of property fraud is in
the County of San Maranentino.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
The impact is litigation many times, loss of home, loss
of confidence, loss of trust. Litigation is lengthy, detailed. How
do you fight How do you prove a lie when
you're a true victim and you're saying it wasn't me,
(28:55):
I didn't do it. I don't know who did it
I because you end up owing the money. The money
is gone, has has been dispersed by the bank to
whatever individual did this. The homeless. It impacts homelessness in
(29:17):
many cases. I'm sure it destroys marriages, families. As I stated,
sometimes it's your friends because they have information that you've
shared with them, because you've known them for many years.
Whatever the reasons are, the impacts are great, and we're
(29:38):
working diligently to protect the property owners. Is it an inconvenience?
Speaker 1 (29:44):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (29:44):
Yes, it is. Even here in my offices. No one
can come in and have a meeting with me unless
they are the property owner and I can verify it
through our records. And or if they come representing a
(30:05):
property owner, they must bring me proof, written proof, and
I will many times call that property owner, or there
can be some type of a notarized form that they
bring and they have to have this proof in order
to speak on behalf of the property owner. And then
and only then will I share pertinent information with them.
(30:29):
It is an inconvenience. Many people don't like it, but again,
these are the inconveniences that have to be in place
in order to safeguard the trust and the security of
people's homes and the trust that they must have in
our offices to keep their property and their documents safe.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
So it's very interesting. I know you're only nine months
into your tenure, but have you seen a downward trend
in fraud now that you're connected to the DA's office
where they're cross referencing these requests for you know, information
through your office, as well as the need to present
identification when they go to pool documents.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
I think that it's a it's a unilateral reduction of
these type of cases and impacts, being that the Assembly
bills that are pasted are statewide and that there is
a statewide effort. Every district attorney, I believe, within within
(31:34):
the realm of their responsibilities, are addressing these things. And
I will say that in the northern part of the
state of California, it's logical to think that there is
less fraud, they have less of a property turnover. Here
in the Inland Empire, Southern California, southern central California, we
(31:57):
are a hub. We have a businesses, whether their industrial, commercial,
residential development taking place constantly. So the title land titles
are many times changed over, sometimes twice a week, because
one person will buy it and then another person immediately
(32:21):
they already have a new buyer, so it's just a flipping,
if you will. So it's not uncommon for us to
have more of an income impact and more of a
responsibility to address these issues. So, yes, it is a
little bit of a hardship, but I think it's mostly
concentrated here in the south central area of our state,
(32:42):
and we're working really hard to make sure we reduce
these numbers and protect our people.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
I love that. And so in addition to these efforts,
you've also advocated for adding email addresses to property transaction records.
What websites and protections does this provide for homeowners?
Speaker 3 (32:58):
Well, it allows us for immediately no senail mail because
on the mail we have to send it over to
the district attorney's office. They've got to read it, they've
got a format, they have a letter to go out.
It's got to be addressed, sent out, and by the
time what is it, two or three days, by the
(33:18):
time it gets into the mailbox of the property owner,
then anything could have happened. If we have an email
address daily, we can send out these alerts and be
able to get that information to the property owner much faster.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
Right, So, moving on to Prop thirteen legislation, Are there
any legislative efforts or bills related to Prop thirteen that
affect inter generational transfer of property tax rates in Sanmonidino County.
Speaker 3 (33:52):
I'm so glad you asked this question. I am going
to tell you that it is a heartache to realize
what Proposition nineteen did to Proposition thirteen, that intergenerational wealth
(34:12):
has been I would, for lack of a better word,
has been assassinated. It has been deleted, and I wholesoly,
with my whole heart, believe that if the voters had
been told exactly what Proposition nineteen would do, they would
(34:36):
never have passed it, because what has happened is that
intergenerational wealth is no longer that viable option that parents,
grandparents have to pass on their hard earned properties, everything
(35:01):
that they ever wanted to leave behind for their children,
let alone their grandchildren. What has happened is that through
prop nineteen, you can only leave your child your home.
If that child is living in the home on January
(35:24):
first of the year that the parent dies, they must
occupy the home as their primary residence. Where before you
could leave your property to your children, there is a
max of one million dollars in which you don't have
(35:46):
to pay taxes, and nowadays one home in many of
our cities, let alone in the future, are going to
surpass that. And consequently, what Proposition thirteen once ensured for us,
and that is the stability of property values and the
(36:12):
whole concept of keeping people in their homes has been jeopardized.
And the people, the taxpayers, don't rightly know, I have
a situation in which I'm a parent. Elderly parent recently
went and wanted to surprise his four sons with the
(36:36):
fact that he was leaving them their home. He took
the home out of the trust that it was in,
came into our offices and put it in their names,
not realizing that the children live in their homes, their
(36:56):
respective homes. They're grown, they're married, they have children of
their own, and that now that house has been triggered
for reassessment at current property values at twenty twenty five
property values instead of the original Prop thirteen tax rate
(37:19):
at which this gentleman that price of that home, that
value of that home that he purchased it what fifty
sixty years ago?
Speaker 2 (37:27):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 3 (37:28):
Consequently, now the four children have to pay the taxes
on the repraise the revaluation of this home. And there
is there is. It's a shock. And are there ways
to retract this if people act quickly, if they do
(37:52):
this within a reasonable amount of time, They'll say thirty days.
But I will work with anyone within a reasonable sixty
to thirty to ninety day timetable. But you cannot come
back three four years later and say, oh, I need
you know to redact this. I need to take all
(38:14):
the paperwork back and put it back in the trust
because I didn't know. No, people have a responsibility to
be updated as to their mandated duty and taking care
of their property. But I do, I do want to
give considerations. The problem will be that whether it's thirty
days or ninety days, the Statemard of Equalization laws are
(38:39):
very clear, you will have to pay the praised Oh
my goodness, that new value regardless. So we need to
make sure our property owners are informed and that they
understand that we must. It's some point come up with
(39:02):
a new proposition that addresses this huge black, gaping hole
with Improp thirteen that Prop nineteen now forces us to address.
I don't think we've discussed last week. As I said,
(39:22):
I spoke before the State Board of Equalization board members
spoke about this very thing, and I told them that
multi generational wealth is in jeopardy because of this. We
have people who have businesses and want to pass this
business on to their son, and the son to his
or her son, and we can't do that. And it
(39:45):
is many people own more than one property. Many people
have dreams of adding on to what they're leaving behind, developers,
construction companies. It just impacted every facet that we call
leaving any multi generational wealth to advance the future of
(40:08):
our generations in any form. So it is important that
people become informed, that people go to an attorney, that
they a trust attorney, approbate attorney. What have you say,
I need some advice, I need to avail myself of
the right way to approach leaving an inheritance.
Speaker 2 (40:30):
That is such important information. Thank you so much for
sharing that update, because, as you noted, this poor gentleman
thinking he's doing a great thing for his children in
certain this man, well, what a surprise it must have
been to get that new tax assessment and that new
tax burden on them. Oh my gosh. But it's wonderful
(40:52):
that you're sharing that and that you're giving people a
grace period, an extended grace period in fact, thirty sixty
ninety days to reverse and reach tract these efforts. So
I hope everyone's listening to this, Everyone in our county
is listening to this, because that is a tremendous negative
impact that can have long term implications, Like you said,
(41:12):
cross generational implications. When you're trying to do something good
and trying to save up and trying to pass something down,
but the reverse occurs, or you don't know how to
implement what your expectations are, so you advice for an attorney,
probate for a trust. Thank you so much for that, Josie,
Oh my god, that's overwhelming.
Speaker 3 (41:33):
Yes, and that highlights the value that Proposition thirteen continues
to provide for homeowners. We need to protect Proposition thirteen.
It is one of the last bastions of security that
we have that protect homeowners, especially seniors, people who stay
(41:55):
in their home all of their life. Imagine if they're
if we didn't have Prop. Thirteen to be able to
help them and to have a one percent annual increase
on the original property tax rate. That is critical. That
is a safeguard and Proposition thirteen does provide us with that.
Speaker 2 (42:17):
Well, that's wonderful. I'm gonna get on the horn with
a probate attorney and a trust attorney to make sure
everything is in order, because these are some very enlightening
and daunting and scary prospects quite frankly, right on the
heels of Halloween. Nonetheless, talk about scary news right absoluteliness.
(42:40):
So with that said, let's break down the different segments
of property in the market in San Bonandino County and
what does that look like and how is that evolving.
Speaker 3 (42:52):
The different segments of marketing. Wow, as you know, we
have a shortage of housing, single family homes, high density developments.
We have many of our children, grandchildren moving away because
(43:14):
owning a home, buying a home is out of their reach,
out of their pocket range, and they're looking for a
life that they can begin to establish and grow their
own family. So are we looking at these impacts? Yes,
For as long as I can remember, and as you
well know, environmental impacts, Environmental Protection Act, whether it's soft
(43:40):
go AQMD or SEQUA or any other environmental impact have
dictated very strict overside guidelines that need to be met
in order for development to take place. These have definitely
(44:00):
impacted the shortage of homes. When it comes to a
commercial again, we know right now that commercial is again
inside that little jelly road. Things have changed post COVID.
What was once a thriving mall a commercial center now
(44:22):
is being overshadowed by online commerce. And we know that,
and how do we know that because now we have
a huge surgeence of warehouses, people get upset. The public
gets upset. They don't want to live next to a warehouse.
(44:43):
They don't understand why there's so many. The problem is
that with all of the online orders came a great
deal of truck traffic congestion. Because we have the Port
of Los Angeles, Port of Long Beach, that where all
the goods come in to anywhere west of the Mississippi River,
(45:06):
so we're right here. They have to come through us.
We are the goods movement corridor, and who's ordering most
of these products. We are. So what happened to try
to mitigate that traffic congestion. Warehouses started to become the
thing to build. The square footage land went up for sale,
(45:30):
went from oh heavens, from a dollar I'm gonna exaggerate,
from a dollar fifty a square foot to thirty dollars.
Speaker 2 (45:38):
Oh my gosh, and.
Speaker 3 (45:40):
Millions of dollars changed hands because these warehouses needed to
have a place to store their inventory locally, where they
could use smaller trucks to deliver the inventory and be
able to mitigate and demonstrate that they were reducing the
(46:05):
truck traffic congestion. We have railroad junctions, we have airports,
we have freeways that intersect all of our cities from
the valley to the high desert, from the coast all
the way. As I said, to west of the Mississippi,
we're it, We're the hub. And consequently, we have a
(46:28):
great deal of change coming again. Post COVID. Many of
the office square footage has now gone empty. Many employees
are teleworking and that has changed the demand for office space.
Many of the businesses that were standalone businesses now are moving,
(46:54):
believe it or not, into warehouses and they are manufact ucturing.
They are print shops, they're auto shops. There's all kinds
of businesses that are going indoors that now necessitate my
offices to be looking at the industrial use in a
(47:17):
different way. There is no zoning that per se in
which industrial zones are now money generating sales, tax generating engines.
I say all of this to you because, as I said,
we're in a revolution of change. We have now cities
(47:41):
who understand that unless they are able to accommodate and
partner with developers, that they will not be able to
attract the pedestrian traffic that they would like to have.
So what are they doing. They're going into partnerships with
developers where developers build the project, whether it's a high
(48:07):
density a residential project, or it's a commercial project, and
the city comes in and they build the parking and
consequently there is a symbiotic relationship being created between cities
and developers that bring mutual benefit. But at the same time,
(48:33):
they create a special property use that has never existed,
which makes it necessary for me to go to the
State Board of Equalization and say, we need to look
at these changes. We need to look at not only
what technology is doing to us and what we're doing
(48:56):
because of it, but we need to have a reaction
hoity check on how our cities and our counties are
changing to adapt to these new norms that totally are
a surprise and different from anything we have on the books.
Speaker 2 (49:15):
Well, that is very exciting, and we know that it
takes a workforce to make this go forward. So share
with us what workforce development initiatives has your office launch
to better serve the county's growing population and evolving needs.
Speaker 3 (49:31):
I'll tell you I worked closely with Human Resources department.
We have come up this last summer came up with
one of the largest internship projects that we've ever had.
We had six different ones from high school kids, community
college kids, university students. We had people who'd been looking
(49:55):
for jobs but didn't know that we even exist, that
we have the kinds of jobs that are relative to
real estate agencies that we deal with, escrow companies with banks,
that ultimately your background, that that you are having or
you've experienced, can become an asset to getting a job
(50:20):
with us. I have hired quite a good number I
would venture to say probably fifteen people since I have
come on board in January. I have also fired people.
Now I am. I am a stickler for production, for respect,
(50:42):
and for kindness, for efficiencies. I want to create a
safe and healthy and respectful workforce, and I believe that
many of our employees have been have been happy to
see this new inclusion and cooperation. And consequently, I'm attracting
(51:04):
a lot of new employees and I've already started on
my on my new recruitment for twenty twenty six. I've
got my first intern and I think that he's going
to be very excited when I tap him to be
the first one coming on board and.
Speaker 2 (51:22):
That is wonderful. That's so exciting, and maybe he'll hear
it here.
Speaker 3 (51:25):
First, Hey, I talked to him on Sunday and I said,
you're coming. You're awesome. Austin say you're coming, You're coming
on board.
Speaker 2 (51:34):
I love it. That's wonderful, Josie. So, looking toward the future,
what are your primary goals for improving the services provided
by the Assessor, Recorder and County Clerk's Office owned by
the way the archivist as well.
Speaker 3 (51:49):
I will tell you my primary goal, as I stated earlier,
I must have updated standard and training workshops standards. This
is the standard, high standard. We want you top shelf
and we will train you to do that. Policies and procedures.
(52:13):
What are the policies, What are the procedures? How do
we best incorporate technology modern technology and do it in
a way that is done with privacy, with efficiency, proficiency, effectiveness,
and that we delete obsolete redundancy procedures. I believe that
(52:41):
we need to be able to look at inspiring our employees,
making them feel important, helping them to understand the critical
economic engineers that they are. I believe that we want
to ensure that they trust technology, that they know that
(53:05):
there are efficiencies that can be introduced that will help
them to lighten up their heavy workload. By learning and
trusting that technology can be used safely and efficiently to
better the workplace. That is key. I know that there's
(53:27):
a lot of insecurities. If you will, when you don't
have proper training, you make more mistakes. I want to
avoid that. I want smart, efficient, lean engineers working in
my offices, and the way I can do that is
by respecting them, giving them the tools they need to
(53:50):
exercise their job, and to give them pride in what
they do. Some of these things we can do with AI.
Other things we as human beings must be able to
do for each other and with each other, because ultimately,
we know that we live more time in our workplace
(54:10):
than we do at home. We get to go visit
our home at night, and we leave in the morning
with a beautiful attitude that we have a work family
that we're looking forward to seeing that day. That event
creates efficiencies that I'm looking for.
Speaker 2 (54:28):
Oh my goodness, well with you at the helm, Josie. Obviously,
this is something that I'm so excited to see transform
and to see come to life within your office. And
future opportunities as all of the response and services through
your efforts are evolving to meet the region's evolving needs
(54:48):
as well. You are an absolute inspiration. Josie. Thank you
for making the time to join us today.
Speaker 3 (54:54):
Absolutely, thank you for having me. Look forward to seeing
you again.
Speaker 2 (54:58):
Yes, absolutely, we will catch up soon. For everybody listening,
don't forget to find us on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Check us out on SCBR talk dot com, and don't
miss my conversation with Janice Rutherford Limb from Girl Scout
Creek cleanups to shaping state policy. Janus's journey is a
(55:18):
tapestry of service and vision. A Summa cum laud scholar
turned legislative force, she reimagined if she reimagined the Inland
Empire's future, championing education, innovation, and community wellbeing. Next week,
Emerging from poverty and hardship, Cesar Navarete has become a
beacon of hope for the Inland Empire's most vulnerable children.
(55:41):
For over twenty years, he has transformed nonprofits and empowered
future generations. As President and CEO of the Children's Fund,
he leads with compassion forging partnerships that break cycles of despair.
His journey from struggle to stewardship embodies resis, zillience, and vision,
proving that Cesar Navarrete is not just a leader, but
(56:04):
the difference he once needed. You do not want to
miss it. We will see you all next week.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Are You A Charlotte?
In 1997, actress Kristin Davis’ life was forever changed when she took on the role of Charlotte York in Sex and the City. As we watched Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte navigate relationships in NYC, the show helped push once unacceptable conversation topics out of the shadows and altered the narrative around women and sex. We all saw ourselves in them as they searched for fulfillment in life, sex and friendships. Now, Kristin Davis wants to connect with you, the fans, and share untold stories and all the behind the scenes. Together, with Kristin and special guests, what will begin with Sex and the City will evolve into talks about themes that are still so relevant today. "Are you a Charlotte?" is much more than just rewatching this beloved show, it brings the past and the present together as we talk with heart, humor and of course some optimism.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.