With longtime Thurston County Assessor Steven Drew retiring at the end of the year, JJ Olson thinks his 11 years of experience within the Thurston County Assessor’s Office makes him the most obvious choice to take on the mantle.
“It'd be difficult to find a person that has that breadth of experience from rez commercial values to setting the taxes,” Olson said. “I have that experience, have the education, and I am a leader.”
Olson has led by example within the Thurston County Assessor’s Office for the last 11 years, earning his coworkers’ trust and support in the process.
“I have felt the love for my office in being able to get to where I am today, and I want to return that and support my office and to give that back to not just them, but my community as well,” Olson said.
Aside from the upcoming leadership change, the Thurston County Assessor’s Office is undergoing major internal shifts. Six key employees are retiring and the office is transitioning to a new software system, all while dealing with the ongoing county budget crisis.
While those changes will be difficult to navigate, Olson believes there’s an opportunity to change the Thurston County Assessor’s Office for the better.
“I know where we want to be,” Olson said.
Specifically, Olson wants the software change to be completed under budget and in a reasonable timeframe, so that taxpayers don’t experience any hiccups in accessing their property valuations.
Once in place, the new software system should dramatically improve online data access and make the online system more user-friendly.
Olson also intends to welcome in new employees with nontraditional experience that he said will help provide a new perspective for the assessor’s office.
“I can morph outside people with skills to work inside this office because I've had those roles. I know the skills that are needed for each role,” Olson said.
Another big priority for Olson is ensuring that assessors are safe out in the field, while simultaneously protecting homeowners’ privacy.
He hopes to expand use of aerial imagery and partner with other county agencies to allow assessors to do as much of the assessment work as possible remotely.
That would decrease the number of potentially dangerous interactions between assessors and homeowners who don’t want a government worker on their property.
For more information about Olson’s campaign, visit https://jjforassessor.com/.
To learn more about Olson’s opponent, Lynda Nashed Zeman, visit https://tinyurl.com/3c95fr26.
