POCATELLO — Democratic candidate for Bannock County Assessor Jared Stein is convinced that incumbent Republican Dave Packer is using his public office for personal gain, and Stein’s going to ask for an investigation by the Idaho Attorney General’s Office.
Stein said it is unethical for Packer to have lowered the assessed value on rental properties he owns in a partnership with Pocatello City Councilman Jim Johnston (a company known as JoPac, LLC) and then turn around and sell those properties for amounts much higher than the appraised value. He also questions the fact Packer has continued to sell real estate as a broker while serving as county assessor.
“He’s made $250,000 in county salary while still actively working as a realtor,” Stein said about Packer. “And he conducts real estate transactions in the Assessor’s Office.”
Stein has two examples of JoPac properties sold in 2013 in Pocatello as evidence of Packer’s profiting from public office. The value on property at 1070 McKinley had its assessed value for tax purposes reduced by Packer’s Assessor’s Office from $610,000 to $460,467 in 2012 only to sell for $750,000 in June of 2013. Another property at 1011 Deon had its assessed value reduced by Packer’s office from $641,250 in 2011 to $472,718 in 2013 before selling for $675,000 in June of 2013.
In addition, Stein has records that show Packer has dropped the assessed value of lots owned by JoPac from $18,000 to $3,000.
“The value of the lots in the city doesn’t drop,” Stein said.
Packer denies working on real estate sales in the Assessor’s Office and said he maintains a separate office for that work.
“I was a real estate broker before I started this job and I’m not going to give up my license,” Packer said.
The incumbent said he only sold two homes this year — one to his daughter and another to a close friend.
This summer the Greater Pocatello Association of Realtors endorsed Stein after inviting both candidates to speak to the association’s board of directors. Association President Sheri Davies said the meeting with Packer turned ugly after the board asked what would happen if they stopped providing the Assessor’s Office with final property sales information.
Idaho law doesn’t mandate disclosure of this sales information.
Davies said Packer pointed at each board member and said, “Your taxes will go up,” repeatedly.
Packer admits he lost the association’s endorsement for this election, but he has a different version of the confrontation with the board.
“I just told them that if we didn’t have that information (final sales) I would have nothing to go by,” Packer said. “I’d be working in the dark and their taxes would go up. I never threatened anybody.”
Davies said the meeting with Packer and the realtors’ board was threatening in nature.
“That is not a public servant,” Davies said about Packer.
Packer said he would welcome an investigation by the attorney general.
“There’s nothing to hide,” Packer said. “I don’t do the appraisals so I don’t make the adjustments.”
Packer said he first ran for assessor four years ago because he became upset with value increases on some of his personal holdings which he said went up 98 percent in one year. He said since he has become assessor property that was valued too high for the local market has been adjusted downward.
“There’s been an 18 percent decrease in all four-plexes in the last five years,” Packer said.
Stein said the largest decreases have all been on properties where Packer holds an interest.
Stein said, “I pledge to bring honesty and integrity back to the assessor’s office.”
Packer said Stein lacks the experience and education to run the Assessor’s Office and the only reason the realtors’ association is backing Stein is “they’re looking for someone they can control.”
“This office is running smoother and faster than it ever has,” Packer said.
(12) comments
If Packer has been accused of these wrong deeds before, why wasn't something done about it?
Maybe Packer just thumbed his nose at the allegations and got away with it.
Perhaps the only way to fix it is to let him find another job with the election process and get someone new in the office via this election.
There seems to be smoke coming out of Packers office, where there is a fire that has simmered for a long time.
When a guy has been in the job too long and allegations come up like this, time to set them out to pasture.
Interesting responses. First let me say that there should be an investigation on this and if there was an illegal act, prosecute to the full extent of the law. However as I have said before, I see this more as a political stunt on Stein's part than any true concern of wrong doing. Why else did Stein wait 16 months to say he is going to go to the Attorney General?
Seems those in defense of Stein have no issue with him waiting so long to say there is a problem. Talking to the newspaper is not a way to report the problem, it is just a way to make accusations that cannot be resolved until after the election. With Stein doing this, I have to wonder what he will do if elected to remain in the Assessor's office in future elections.
As for IrishEyes saying there is investigative reporting, I did laugh out loud when I read that. If there truly was something in the paper a while back on this, why didn't the Journal pursue this and dig deeper to get more information at that time? Seems a scandal such as this would provide lots of opportunities to do some research of property values to find out who benefited the most. Instead of this, we are left only with Stein's allegations of who benefited.
Wonder if the O'Donnell will report when the complaint is filed. If it is not filed, will O'Donnell report on that and ask Stein why not? I am certain O'Donnell won't do that. Still want to know why the heck didn't O'Donnell ask Stein why 16 months have gone by without him acting on these allegations.
Whoops...typo. Fingers moving too fast for the spell checker. "Accusations"... not "allocations."
Jared Stein has my vote.
Just for everyone's information, this is not the first time this has been brought up. It was in the paper a while back; it infuriated me then. Evidentially it did nothing to phase Packer as he continues the practice. If you drive around town and look where Packers signs are they are usually at apartment complexes. It is probably natural to assume these complexes have all received a reduced property valuation. Someone should check Packers private residence as well as Jim Johnstons. It would be no surprise if they to had an adjusted downward value. O'Donnell has been doing some good investigative pieces, which I admit is unusual for the journal. I think its great. How are the people to govern themselves if they are not aware of the corruption that is taking place in their government? Of course its brought up again at election time, that's how we get rid of the corruption. WE VOTE THEM OUT! Its how we govern ourselves.
Wait a gull darn minute.
I'm sure the reason this is coming out now is pure politics. So what? If the allocations are true, or even remotely-possibly true, shouldn't they be investigated?
If true, the taxpayers in Pocatello stand to gain. If false, those accused get their reputations back.
And don't tell me both men are "good and ethical." While it may be true, it is also a statement one can find in print - from somebody - about every criminal sitting in prison.
The reason we have "investigations" is to get to the truth. What is everyone afraid of?
Lovinglife, my comments are based on the article. The sales took place in June 2013 and Stein says he is going to ask the Idaho Attorney General to look into this. Why did he wait 16 months before deciding there should be an investigation? Wouldn't you expect a reporter with any experience to ask the question of why he waited so long?
It would seem Moon Beam is fine with this type of reporting. How sad that the ends justify the means. Of course if not asking that question benefits the view that O'Donnell wants readers to come away with (vote for Stein because Packer is crooked) then don't bother to ask. There is a lot I can say about the Journal but the most obvious is they lack the ability to perform any objective investigative journalism.
If I were to make assumptions, it would be the Stein brought this up now because he knows an investigation can't be completed in time, it puts Packer on the defensive and is probably hoping it tips voters to his side.
Until there is clarification as to why Stein waited 16 months to file a complaint I won't consider his ethics to be any better than Packer's. Now that the Journal has printed this article, I am willing to bet Stein won't file a complaint because he as achieved his goal of smearing Packer in the press and O'Donnell was a willing accomplice to this action by not asking why Stein waited 16 months.
I know both Dave Packer, and Jim Johnston who is mentioned in this story, they are both good and ethical men. I would be surprised if these allegations were true.
Its been known by many and the county commissioner's that Mr. Packer has been unethical in his duty as the Bannock county assessor since he got into office. This is the perfect time to bring to the voters attention. If it wasn't right before the election the voters would have forgot by now. It is an election issue. Good job Mr. O'Donnell. Keep up the good work to get the voters informed.[smile]
Skeptic; you make assumptions: 1 - that Stein only brought this info forward now; 2 - the ISJ is prompt in their reporting. For all you know Stein did bring this up previously but the Journal just now reports on it. I know the ISJ has held stories back for Sunday editions, sometimes holding the story for days, weeks or months. If anything, you ought to be thankful this was brought to light at all.
Sounds like we may have our own little political soap opera to follow here. What doesn't surprise me is O'Donnell's name attached to this article and his lack of basic journalism responsibility. Why no questions for Stein about the timing of these allegations just before the election and why no reference to Stein's occupation as a real estate appraiser.
How difficult is it to see that the reappraisals occurred in 2012 and sales occurred in June 2013, 16 months ago. Stein announced his candidacy in March 2014. Why not ask for the reason Stein is bringing this issue up now as he had to know about it at least when he announced his candidacy?
Make the allegations now just a couple of weeks before the election knowing it cannot be resolved that quickly. Stein smears Packer's name for political gain. That is a class act. NOT.
The question why now for this to come to light is so obvious that everyone should be able see through O'Donnell's efforts here to paint a particular candidate in good manner while demonizing another candidate by not asking basic questions that readers want to know. Why wait so long for this accusation? Is it an effort to O'Donnell to slant the reporting for political gain, i.e. get a republican out of office and democrat in? In my view, yes.
For what it is worth, I think I will write in a name for this position when I vote. I don't care for incumbents in any position but I sure won't vote for someone who actions are so blatantly obvious in saying there was wronging doing, knowing it for 16 months and only bringing it up in such a short time before the election.
This is not the first time it has been brought up.
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