Frequently Asked Questions
Find clear and concise answers to the questions voters often ask about Dominique Scarimbolo’s campaign and platform.
Why are you running for King County Assessor?
I am running for King County Assessor because I have personally experienced how difficult and frustrating our property tax system can be to understand and navigate. Through property tax appeals, reviewing assessment data, and researching mass appraisal practices, I became increasingly concerned about the lack of transparency, accountability, consistency, and meaningful due process within the current system.
I am not a career politician. I am a small business owner, property owner, and taxpayer who believes residents deserve an Assessor’s Office that is transparent, responsive, and committed to the fair and consistent application of standards. Property owners shoulder a significant financial burden, and they deserve a system they can understand and trust.
I decided to run because I believe we first have to acknowledge where our system falls short before we can begin improving it. My goal is to restore public trust by putting taxpayers first and ensuring the Assessor’s Office serves the public with accountability, fairness, and transparency.
What does the King County Assessor actually do?
The King County Assessor is responsible for identifying, listing, and valuing all taxable real and personal property within King County in accordance with state law. The Assessor’s Office maintains property records, administers property tax exemption programs, and determines assessed values that are used by taxing districts to calculate property taxes.
The Assessor does not set tax rates, create budgets, or determine how much money taxing districts collect. Those decisions are generally made by voters and the various taxing jurisdictions, such as cities, counties, school districts, and special purpose districts.
The Assessor’s responsibility is to ensure properties are assessed fairly, consistently, and in compliance with applicable laws and standards while providing taxpayers with clear information about how their properties are valued.
Can the Assessor lower or raise my property taxes?
Not directly. The King County Assessor does not set tax rates, approve tax levies, adopt budgets, or decide how much money taxing districts collect.
The Assessor’s Office determines the assessed value of your property. Those assessed values are then used by various taxing districts—including the county, cities, schools, fire districts, and voter-approved measures—to calculate each property’s share of the tax burden.
That said, changes in assessed value can affect how the tax burden is distributed among property owners. If your property’s value increases more than similar properties, your share of the overall tax burden may increase. Conversely, if your property’s value increases less than comparable properties, your share may decrease.
The Assessor cannot simply decide to raise or lower taxes. However, the office plays an important role in ensuring assessments are fair, accurate, transparent, and consistently applied because assessments directly affect how the tax burden is allocated among taxpayers.
Why do property assessments keep increasing?
Property assessments generally increase because the Assessor’s Office is required by state law to estimate the market value of taxable property. When property sale prices increase within a neighborhood or market area, assessed values often increase as well.
However, an increase in your assessed value does not automatically mean your property taxes will increase by the same percentage. Property taxes are influenced by several factors, including the budgets and levies adopted by various taxing districts, voter-approved measures, and how your property’s value changes relative to other properties.
Many taxpayers become frustrated because the assessment process can feel confusing and disconnected from their individual circumstances. While market trends are important, residents deserve clear explanations of how assessments are determined and confidence that valuation methods are being applied fairly, consistently, and transparently.
Why should taxpayers vote for you?
I believe voters should do their own due diligence and make an informed decision based on what they see, hear, and believe.
I am not asking anyone to vote for me blindly. I am asking taxpayers to look at my background, my overall experience, and with the property tax system, my advocacy for transparency and accountability, and my willingness to challenge problems directly. If voters believe I am the candidate best suited to restore trust, fairness, and accountability to the Assessor’s Office, then I would be honored to earn their vote.
My campaign is about informed voters, public trust, and putting taxpayers first.
Where can I learn more about your positions on property tax and assessment issues?
I encourage everyone to review the Issues & Priorities section of this website, where I discuss my views on property taxation, assessments, transparency, accountability, and taxpayer due process in greater detail.
I also understand that property taxes and assessments can be complex and that every property owner’s situation is unique. If you have questions that are not answered on this website or would like a more in-depth discussion about a particular issue, I encourage you to reach out through the Contact page. I welcome thoughtful questions and will do my best to respond directly.
An informed public is essential to good government, and I believe voters deserve clear answers and open dialogue.