Tax Collector Jim Overton coasted to his first full term in office, out-polling a Democratic rival for the second time in four months.His edge over term-limited City Council member John Crescimbeni was larger than Republican Overton’s narrow win over Mia Jones in November.
The tax collector administers a roughly $17.5 million budget and oversees the 10 sites that are often known as the “DMV,” where residents receive driver’s licenses and transfer vehicle titles. The agency also collects property taxes, among other functions.
Overton argued that his experience, including 12 years as the county’s property appraiser after time on the council, made him a fit to run such a large operation. Crescimbeni, meanwhile, pointed to his background as a businessman and fiscally conservative council member, saying he was willing to shake things up and be a “change agent” in the office.
They each agreed that changes need to be made at the branch offices, which have an average wait time of 22 minutes. Both talked of setting up payment programs to spread out property tax payments to ease the burden of a big one-time tax bill.
Overton was on the City Council for more than a decade, representing a district that included the Riverside-Avondale area, between 1992 and 2003.