Suzanne Droubie would bring her life’s experiences to the Pima County Assessor’s Office.

For all jobs, experience does matter.

As a candidate for the Pima County Assessors Office, Suzanne Drouble has buckets of it.

If she wins the nomination and general election in 2020, she would bring the wealth of her experience to benefit the people at the Pima County Assessors office.

Well versed in the intricacies of the office, Ms. Droubie, a Minnesota native who fell in love with Tucson while visiting her grandparents, pledges to be an open and transparent people’s servant as the new Assessor.

Mrs. Droubie discussed her qualifications and goals for the Assessor position during a phone interview.

The questions and her responses are below.

• Please tell the reader about yourself and give at least two reasons you are qualified to serve as the next Pima County Assessor?

 “I am originally from Minnesota, but I have been a true Tucsonan at heart from a very early age. My grandparents lived here, and every time I visited them, I fell more and more in love with the culture and the area, so it was really exciting when I was finally able to move here permanently along with my husband and most of my children in 2008… I have over 24 years as a property tax agent, an appraiser, a real estate agent, and a customer service specialist. The current assessor (Bill Staples) is stepping down, leaving an open seat. I want to be the next Assessor because I have experience working for the Pima Assessors Office for seven years as a Senior Commercial Property Appraiser and one year as a Property Valuation Support Manager for property litigation cases handled by the Pima County Attorney’s Office. I have seen how the office works and know how to make things better when I am elected to the position. I also have four years as a Property Tax Agent, and I am the Vice President of Property Tax services for a major real estate firm in Arizona.”

• Please tell the reader what are at least two duties of the Pima County Assessor?

“ The Assessor is responsible for locating, listing, and valuing all property under its jurisdiction that is to be listed on the assessment roll sheets. This includes both real (real estate and building) and personal property (capital assets.) They also have the duty of reviewing and qualifying property for tax exemptions.”

• Please tell the reader at least two reasons you would be a better assessor than your opponent?

 “I am the only candidate that has experience inside the assessor’s office and in the private sector. Because this perspective is unique to me, I am better equipped to ensure fairness to all the taxpayers of Pima County. I am the only candidate that has drafted legislation on behalf of the Pima County taxpayers to put guidelines in place to ensure they are protected from unexpected tax increases due to changes to their property.”

 “I believe that I am the only candidate that has the ability and the vision to see beyond what the current duties of the assessor’s office are and what they have been willing to do to what the assessor’s office can be and what we can do.”

• What are at least two goals, that the position has influence over, that you would pursue if elected to the County Assessor’s Office and please explain your reasons for those? 

“A couple of my goals are to bring the service back to public service by improving customer service and educational outreach programs. My reasoning behind this lies in my strongly held belief that the community deserves to know and trust that they can go to the Assessor’s office for honest and transparent answers to all of their questions concerning their valuations and property taxes. The taxpayer deserves to be heard by getting an immediate response without having to jump through hoops.”

 “The Assessor has the responsibility to go out into the community and explain property valuation and taxation and how all of it affects personal budget and the community as a whole.”

 “The Assessor has the responsibility to be an active part of development services by educating taxpayers on the process of taxation concerning new development.”

 “I want to be involved in legislation that protects the taxpayer.” 

• What would you like the voters to know about yourself that was not covered in the preceding questions?

 “I just want the taxpayers to know I will be working for them every single day. As their Assessor, I will make sure they are treated fairly and equitably and that everything we do in the Assessors office will be transparent and that I will put the service back in public service.”

For more information on Ms. Droubie and her campaign, please click on her website here and her Facebook Page here.