I’m humbly asking you to vote for me for county assessor.
I will fix the Assessor’s Office and reduce your taxes. Anyone running for assessor should offer essential reform, not just the same old bureaucracy.
Anyone could have submitted a ballot measure to push tax reform — but I’m the only assessor candidate who actually did because my focus is affordability. I authored “The 60+ Property Tax Exemption Act of 2026,” an initiative currently being reviewed by the state attorney general before it can be circulated for signatures to qualify for the statewide ballot.
While setting rules for tax exemptions is beyond the scope of the job as county assessor, my ballot measure would exempt every California resident age 60 and over from paying property tax on their primary residence. The initiative would require approximately 875,000 signatures to go on the ballot.
It’s the same legal path used for the 1978 passage of Proposition 13, the cornerstone of California property tax protection. Sixteen states have already advanced property tax relief for seniors, and Virginia just used the same ballot-initiative process to exempt disabled veterans from property tax. I will get it done.
Keeping property tax predictable and fair helps seniors and families stay in their homes and keeps communities stable. When property taxes rise faster than income, seniors are forced to sell their homes and either move or are forced onto the streets.
My record is cutting taxes, cutting waste, opposing utility rate hikes and modernizing systems. Specifically, I’ve:
• Never voted for a tax increase.
• Helped defeat 10 San Jose water rate increases.
• Modernized IT systems as a software and AI executive.
• Never accepted PAC or special interest group money.
The Assessor’s Office needs an outsider as leader — a person adept at modernization and the latest technology. It needs a true changemaker, and I believe that shoe fits me.
Finally, assessor certification is a red-herring issue. It’s a simple and straightforward process. Every successful candidate has a year to obtain certification. The previous assessor wasn’t certified when elected.
The choice is clear: Vote Rishi Kumar for county assessor.
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