The Placer County Board of Supervisors has appointed Kristen Spears to serve as Placer County Assessor, filling the unexpired term of Bruce Dear, who retired from the position last month.
Ms. Spears has served as Assistant Assessor since July 2004, and was recommended for the appointment by Mr. Dear. She will hold the office through 2010 at which time she would need to go through the general election process to retain the office.
The Board of Supervisors received 13 applications for the job, and heard personal statements of their qualifications from many during the board meeting.
Board members voted on candidates during the meeting, with their individual selections read aloud. Supervisor Kirk Uhler made the motion to appoint Ms. Spears, which was seconded by Supervisor Rocky Rockholm, and unanimously approved by the Board.
“As Assessor, I will not be content to rest on previous accomplishments, but rather to lead the department forward in new directions and to seek positive opportunities for success,” stated Ms. Spears in her statement to the Board of Supervisors. “My initial goal will be to improve our service to Placer County taxpayers given the increased complexity and number of their questions in our currently challenging economic environment.”
Ms. Spears has held a variety of roles in the Placer County Assessor’s Office since July of 1997, serving as Managing Appraiser, Principal Auditor Appraiser and Chief Appraiser prior to becoming Assistant Assessor.