A consequential election that often goes overlooked by many voters is the race for Riverside County assessor.
Many people who aren’t homeowners — and some who are — may have no idea what the county assessor does. To put it simply, the assessor, formally known as the assessor-clerk-recorder, keeps records of all taxable property within a county and establishes its value for purposes of taxation. The office also issues marriage licenses and keeps records of things including marriage, birth and death certificates.
In this election, incumbent Peter Aldana faces off against political newcomer Jared McBride. Aldana has been in office since 2014 and seeks his fourth consecutive four-year term.
He is going against McBride, a business owner registered in Aguanga, who previously served on board of the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District.
Under Riverside County’s election rules, if one candidate gets more than 50% of the vote in the June 2 primary, they will win the four-year term and there will be no general election. That’s a likely outcome in a race with only two candidates, so this is likely the last say voters will have on the position until 2030.
The Desert Sun asked both candidates three questions about themselves. See their answers below.
Peter Aldana
How will you ensure property assessments are accurate, consistent, and fair across different neighborhoods and property types?
Riverside County is large and diverse, with residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, and rural properties, but no neighborhood should get a different rulebook. My focus is on professional appraisal practices, staff training, data review, technology, management oversight, and consistent application of exemptions and exclusions.
I also believe taxpayers deserve clear answers. If someone believes an assessment is wrong, they should be able to understand how it was determined, provide information, and receive a fair review. It is also important to be clear that the Assessor does not set tax rates or collect taxes; our job is to determine value under California law and maintain an accurate assessment roll.
What in your background has best prepared you for this role, and how would it shape your decision-making?
The best preparation for this job has been doing the work. I did not come into the Assessor-Clerk-Recorder’s Office from the outside; I came up through the office, serving in appraisal, supervisory, and management positions. That gives me a practical understanding of the law, the operations, the staff, and the people we serve.
That background shapes my decision-making because I know these are not just parcels, forms, or records. They affect homeowners, seniors, veterans, small businesses, nonprofits, and families trying to navigate a complicated system. I make decisions by asking: Is it lawful? Is it fair? Is it consistent? Can we explain it clearly to the public?
Why should voters choose you over your opponent?
Voters should choose me because this office requires knowledge, sound judgment, and trust, not slogans. I respect anyone willing to run for public office, but the Assessor-Clerk-Recorder’s Office is not a place for on-the-job training. It handles property assessments, public records, vital records, and services that residents and businesses depend on every day.
I have worked hard to build fair and accurate assessments, modernization, transparency, and customer service. I will continue protecting taxpayers by making sure assessments are accurate and defensible, exemptions are applied correctly, records are safeguarded, and the office remains professional, accountable, and focused on serving the public.
Jared McBride
How will you ensure property assessments are accurate, consistent, and fair across different neighborhoods and property types?
The first step is recognizing the problem: too many Riverside County families feel they are being gouged by inflated and outrageous property-tax assessments. When assessments soar, tax bills explode — and that can put real pressure on seniors, working families, farmers, small businesses, and homeowners across the county.
As Assessor-Clerk-Recorder, I will make accuracy, consistency, and fairness the standard — not the exception.
I will push for stronger internal audits, better review procedures, and clearer standards so that assessments are not arbitrary, inflated, or unevenly applied. Similar properties should be treated similarly. Neighborhoods should not be targeted or neglected. Property owners should not have to feel like they are fighting a confusing bureaucracy just to get a fair assessment.
I will also demand greater transparency. Taxpayers deserve to know how their assessment was calculated, what data was used, and how they can challenge mistakes. The process should be understandable and accessible, not buried behind bureaucratic language.
My goal is to stop inflated assessments from drowning families in higher tax bills, cut waste and bureaucratic fat inside the office, and make sure the Assessor works for the people — not the tax machine.
What in your background has best prepared you for this role, and how would it shape your decision-making?
My background has prepared me for this role because I have real-world experience managing money, reviewing budgets, overseeing audits, cutting waste, and holding organizations accountable. I have served on public and private boards and have helped oversee tens of millions of dollars in budgets. That experience matters because the Assessor-Clerk-Recorder’s Office must be run with discipline, transparency, and accountability.
I am not coming into this as a career politician. I am coming into this as a husband, father, business owner, and lifelong Riverside County resident who understands how government decisions affect families directly.
My decision-making would be shaped by a simple principle: the people come first. Every policy, every assessment practice, every budget decision, and every internal process should be tested against whether it is fair, lawful, transparent, and respectful to taxpayers.
I would bring a taxpayer-watchdog mindset to the office. That means asking hard questions, reviewing what is not working, cutting unnecessary waste, and making sure the office does not become part of the problem by enabling higher and higher burdens on families.
Riverside County needs an Assessor-Clerk-Recorder who understands management, budgets, audits, and accountability — but also understands that behind every property record is a real family, homeowner, senior, farmer, or business owner.
Why should voters choose you over your opponent?
Voters should choose me because I will be a fierce taxpayer watchdog, not a rubber stamp for the tax machine.
For too long, entrenched bureaucracy and broken policies have allowed assessments to rise while families are left struggling to keep up. Seniors on fixed incomes, working families, and homeowners should not be treated like an endless source of revenue for government. Our homes are not an ATM.
I am running to stop property tax gouging, cut waste and bureaucratic fat, force accountability and transparency, and fight government overreach against your home.
My opponent represents more of the same system that has failed taxpayers. I represent a change in direction — toward fairness, accountability, and an Assessor-Clerk-Recorder’s Office that remembers who it works for.
I bring the experience to manage complex budgets, oversee audits, cut waste, and demand accountability. But more importantly, I bring the determination to stand up for Riverside County families.
This election is about taking back control. It is time for an Assessor-Clerk-Recorder who works for the people — not the bureaucracy, not the politicians, and not the tax machine.
I would be honored to earn your vote.
Sam Morgen covers local government for The Desert Sun. Reach him at smorgen@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Property taxes in spotlight in race for Riverside County assessor
Reporting by Sam Morgen, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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