Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: President Warren Slocum, District 4
Subject: Reappointments to the Assessment Appeals Board
RECOMMENDATION:
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Recommendation for reappointments to the Assessment Appeals Board (AAB):
A) Clinton Freeman, Commissioner for a third term ending September 30, 2027; and
B) Geoffrey Wiggs, Commissioner for a first full term ending September 30, 2025; and
C) Heather Srimal; Alternate for a second term ending September 30, 2027.
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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:
Clinton Freeman began serving on the AAB since February 2018 as a regular commissioner and is being recommended for a third term. Geoffrey Wiggs has served since February 2018 when he was an Alternate member, and became a regular Commissioner effective January 1, 2022 for a partial period ending September 30, 2022; and subsequently reappointed for a 3-year term. Due to past administrative error this reappointment memo is to reflect Geoffrey Wiggs’ accurate first full 3-year term effective October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2025. Heather Srimal was appointed in September 2021 and is being recommended for a second term. Approval of reappointments of Commissioners Freeman and Srimal each reflect a 3-year term from October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2027.
Clinton Freeman is a Commercial Real Estate Appraiser with 20+ years of experience appraising properties in California and holds an MAI Designation from the Appraisal Institute. MAI designation is for a certified appraiser and member of the Appraisal Institute who has met strict testing, standards and experience requirements. His appraisal experience includes single and multi-family residential, office, retail and industrial properties, as well as special use properties and going concerns. Clinton is a resident of San Mateo County and has served two years as the Chairman of the Golden Gate Branch of the Appraisal Institute’s Northern California Chapter.
Geoff 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.
Heather Srimal is an attorney with 19 years of experience in real estate, construction, land use, and environmental law. As a former in-house attorney for a large public biopharmaceutical company, she also has extensive experience in general facilities, engineering, maintenance, procurement and other operations contracts. Her industry experience includes life sciences, pharmaceutical, retail, healthcare, real estate, construction, engineering, technology, research, and manufacturing. Heather is a resident of San Mateo and has previously served as a commissioner for the City of San Mateo Housing Rehabilitation Loan Committee and volunteers at Samaritan House of San Mateo County.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None.