St. Louis County voters will pick a new county assessor on Tuesday, Nov. 3, choosing among three candidates for the office that sets property values across the county.
The assessor's office determines property valuations that help set every owner's tax bill. Outgoing Assessor Jake Zimmerman is leaving the post after holding it since 2011 to run for county executive, according to St. Louis Public Radio.
The candidates
Doug Clemens, the Democratic nominee, is an outgoing state representative from St. Ann. He won the Aug. 4 primary with 57.45% of the vote, according to Call Newspapers. Clemens said he would bring 26 years of management experience to the 154-employee office and focus on better customer service for property owners who dispute their valuations.
"That's where you need someone like me to step in, who actually understands how an office runs, who understands how customer service works," Clemens said on St. Louis Public Radio's "Politically Speaking" podcast.
David Messner, the Republican nominee, is a real estate developer. He said on the same podcast that the assessor's office should expand beyond setting property values to become the county's "chief real estate officer," using data on building permits and transactions to guide economic development decisions.
Austin Brown the Green Party nominee, is listed as secretary of the Missouri Green Party.
Polls and results
Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters in line by 7 p.m. are entitled to cast a ballot, according to the Missouri Secretary of State's office.
Unofficial results will be posted on the St. Louis County Board of Elections results archive as tabulation is reported.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is also tracking results for the race.
