Primary Candidates Support Jeff Prang for Assessor

The City of Bell's Mayor, Nestor Valencia, credited with steering the scandal-plagued city back to respectability, has joined 4 other primary candidates endorsing Jeff Prang for Los Angeles County Assessor in the Nov. 4th General Election.

"Jeff is the only candidate that can bring the necessary experience and integrity to the Los Angeles County Assessor's Office," Bell Mayor Nestor E. Valencia said. "I know about corruption, having to fight it here in my beloved City of Bell and Jeff Prang has been part of the reform effort at the Assessor's Office for nearly three years now, and we need him to continue his work. This is not the time for an amateur. Los Angeles County needs Jeff Prang as its next assessor."

Valencia's father worked in the same factory until his retirement and his mother worked at home raising five children. They instilled the foundation for education, hard work, honesty and a spiritual life. Attributes shared by Mr. Prang, who's married to his long-time partner, Ray, a public school teacher.

"I am honored and humbled by the support of Mayor Valencia," Prang said. "Mayor Valencia understands better than most the daunting task of righting a corrupt and damaged ship. He has done that in the City of Bell. I have helped to do that in the Assessor's Office for nearly three years now, and I will continue to do that when elected your Los Angeles County Assessor."

Mayor Valencia was referring to the scandal that hit the office nearly three years ago, when Jeff was brought in to stabilize the office. Jeff played a pivotal role in reforming the Assessor's Office when Assessor John Noguez was indicted on corruption charges. In 2012, Mr. Prang orchestrated Noguez' exit from the Office, and facilitated the appointment of a reform administrator by the Board of Supervisors. As a key member of the reform administration, Prang played a crucial role in implementing reforms, including a ban on campaign contributions to Assessor candidates from tax agents who do business with the Office, and from Assessor employees, and implementing fiscal and management audits. 

Of Prang, Omar Haroon, a leading Primary Election candidate said, "Jeff's leadership role in the office was crucial to getting the office running smoothly again. This office needs to be lead by someone with knowledge and experience, that person is Jeff Prang."

Candidate John Loew stated, "It is my firm belief that Jeffrey Prang is not only the most qualified and competent Assessor candidate, but Jeffrey also has the vision and foresight to lead and inspire the office through the many changes the office will be undergoing." 

Mayor Valencia joins four others who ran in the June Primary for the Assessor seat. There were 12, including Mr. Prang, vying for the seat in the primary, and in an unprecedented move, four of those have now endorsed Jeff. They say he is the only one capable of running this complicated, tax-based office. The other candidates are: Omar Haroon, Krish Kumar, Brilliant Manyare, and John Loew.