Maria Dimas

Age: 63

Occupation: Taos County Assessor

Education: High School Diploma; some college; IAAO certificate; state certified appraiser

Political experience: Taos County Assessor Political Party: Democrat

Charged or convicted of a crime (more serious than a traffic ticket): No Social media or website: maria dimas (facebook)

Incumbent Assessor Maria Dimas is asking voters for a second term in office so she can finish what she started in her first term, the beginning stretches of which she acknowledged presented a steep learning curve.

Despite her nearly 12 years of prior experience working in the assessor’s office as an appraiser, “that was a rough one,” she said, referring to the challenges she faced after then-deputy assessor Randy Baca — who for the second election cycle is her opponent in the Democratic primary — “walked out.”

“I feel I’ve rebounded really well,” she said. “You may see me struggle, but you won’t see me quit.”

Dimas touts several accomplishments in her first term, including an overall growth in property tax revenue. Taxes are collected by the county treasurer based on property valuations conducted by the assessor’s office. If reelected, Dimas said she will continue the good working relationship she says she has formed with County Treasurer Paula Santistevan, and will retain Christina Ramirez as her deputy assessor.

Like other county assessors across the state, Dimas has struggled to fill positions and retain staff in recent years.

“It’s so different than when I came in — now, nobody wants to work,” she said, adding that she plans meet her goals for staff retention by offering a “workfrom-home benefit” to non-probationary employees. “Even if it’s just two days a week, it enhances their work life.”

If elected to a second term, Dimas said she will be diligent about verifying circumstances under which property owners may pay a lower tax rate — the presence of livestock on a property, for example — and will increase her efforts to inform constituents about exemptions available for veterans and charitable, religious or educational organizations; and about property value freezes that are available for low-income seniors. Currently, there is no information about these statewide programs on the Taos County assessor’s webpage.

Dimas said her office will likely raise residential property valuations for the next tax year by “three percent across the board,” the maximum allowed under state statute. “Taos County suffered so much this year, we’re not doing it,” she said.

“My goal is to be fair with everyone, because tax affects everyone,” Dimas said. “If we have an error in valuations, everyone else pays for it. I am here through thick and thin for my constituents.”