Los Alamos County Assessor Ken Milder announced his decision to run for reelection during a meeting today at the Los Alamos Daily Post.

“I actually considered running for County Council but there are some things that Deputy Assessor Joaquin Valdez and I want to do related to new technology and things that will improve transparency and outreach … including videos so people will know what the office does,” Milder said. “We’ve been looking at what other communities are doing to gather ideas, so we aren’t starting from scratch.”

Milder explained that his office wants to increase transparency related to the tax lightning issue. The 2001 state law was intended to protect low-income families and the elderly living in neighborhoods with rapidly rising property values by placing a 3 percent annual cap on increases in assessed property taxed values. The law unfortunately causes problems to new buyers when the property changes hands.

“Right now, people can’t go online to find out whether the 3 percent cap applies,” he said.

Milder wants to allow people to access the Assessor’s Office webpage and be able to determine:

• The property’s market value;
• The property’s assessed value; and
• The property’s taxable value, which he said is 1/3 of the assessed value.

Milder said his office received a 100 percent rating for the 2017 annual Assessor Evaluation from the State of New Mexico Taxation & Revenue Department, Property Tax Division.

“The Los Alamos County Assessor’s Office has received high evaluations for many years and the credit goes to Joaquin and the team,” Milder said. ‘They do such a great job.”

Milder brings vast experience to the office. He served a total of 12 years on County Council and the same amount of time on the Board of Public Utilities. He also has served on several ad hoc committees for the Council through the years. He is the treasurer of the Los Alamos Community Foundation and serves on the Los Alamos Little Theater Board.

Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Milder moved to Los Alamos 44 years ago. He first apprenticed in technical theater at the Santa Fe Opera.

“On April 1, 1974, I went to work at the Laboratory and it was a wonderful place … I had a wonderful 38-year career there,” Milder said.

Milder retired in April 2012 from his job as a security specialist in LANL’s X Division.

To get their name placed on the ballot for the June Primary Election, candidates must officially file for office between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Tuesday in the County Clerk’s Office at the Municipal Building at 1000 Central Ave.