Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: President David J. Canepa, District 5
Subject: Reappointment to the Assessment Appeals Board
RECOMMENDATION:
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Recommendation for the reappointment of Geoffrey Wiggs to the Assessment Appeals Board (AAB) as a Commissioner, for a second term ending September 30, 2028.
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BACKGROUND:
In order to equalize the local tax assessment roll, the Assessment Appeals Board (AAB) is charged with hearing appeals to property tax assessments. In accordance with state law, a local AAB may lower or increase individual assessments as appropriate. Members of an AAB must have a minimum of five years professional experience in the State of California as a certified public accountant or public accountant, a licensed real estate broker, an attorney, or a property appraiser accredited by a nationally recognized professional organization.
Pursuant to County Ordinance section 2.92.030 and state law, the Board of Supervisors directly appoints the members of the AAB to renewable three-year terms.
DISCUSSION:
Geoffrey Wiggs served as an Alternate on the AAB in 2018 before serving as a Commissioner in January 2022, and is being recommended for a second full term as a commissioner upon approval of this reappointment for a term reflecting October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2028.
Geoffrey Wiggs is a third-career attorney whose diverse background includes service in the United States Air Force as a Vietnamese Cryptologic Linguist. He served eight years of active duty in the United States Air Force as a Vietnamese Cryptologic Linguist, spending time in Okinawa, Japan, and at duty stations in Omaha, Nebraska, and Fort Meade, Maryland. In 1992, Geoff served in Operation Desert Storm in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, flying aboard the AWACS Command and Control aircraft. Following his military service, he ran his own computer consultancy, Orcas Technologies, Inc., for nearly 20 years, focusing on the customization and implementation of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software for wholesale food distribution operations across the nation.
While managing his consultancy, Geoff pursued a Master’s in Business Administration from Pepperdine University, focusing on Strategic Implementation. After earning his MBA, he spent two years as a management consultant before deciding to attend law school. At Santa Clara University, he concentrated on Consumer, Bankruptcy, and Start-Up Law, serving as an Associate of the Santa Clara High Tech Law Journal and clerking for the Honorable Arthur Weissbrodt, United States Bankruptcy Judge. Upon passing the bar, Geoff opened his solo practice, focusing on estate planning, asset protection, probate and trust administration, and consumer bankruptcy law. He is licensed to practice in California, Montana, and Wyoming.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None.