On one thing, all three agreed: There is a problem in the Island County Assessor’s Office.

But the three candidates for county assessor — Dave Mattens, Don Mason and Daniel Jones — don’t agree on the best way to solve it.

The “problem” revolves around outdated hardware and software used by the assessor’s office to compute and enforce property rates.

The trio spoke last week to a group of Island County voters at the Aug. 4 meeting of the Old Goats Club.

And Tom Baenen, the current county assessor who is not running for re-election, agreed with assessor candidates that the computers in his office may not be up to snuff.

“But our budget is smaller now than 10 years ago — down from $73,000 to $66,500 — and the county decides where the money goes,” he said.

“The difficulty is increasing daily and the county has refused to address the issue,” Baenen added.

The candidates, however, were ready to tackle the technology problems.

Mason contends the software is fully integrated and can be made to work without increasing taxes.

“I’m Don Mason and I’m running for assessor, not county commissioner,” he said. “I won’t be able to increase taxes. But I’m already working on ways to solve the problem without asking for more money.”

Jones had another view.

“To say the computer program works is crazy,” Jones said. “We can’t interface with others now, but resolving it is something I’ll be concentrating on if elected.”

Mattens agreed.

“We can’t continue to drop money into an old system with outdated technology,” Mattens said. “One area I do want to improve upon is having staffers take ownership of their workplace, fostering mutual respect between themselves and the people they serve.”

Organized by Rufus and Reece Rose of Clinton, the Old Goats Club offers candidates a chance to let voters know who they are and why they’re running.

“We’re here to judge their qualifications, check out their personal style and assess their ability to carry out the job,” Rose told the 50 attendees.

Baenen offered a brief talk on the “State of the Assessor,” essentially noting Island County is “a pretty valuable piece of real estate” compared to other counties.

He said the assessed value of property shows South Whidbey — with $2.8 billion — leads the north island ($2.6 billion) and Camano Island ($1.4 billion) in value.

Island County has 211 square miles and the population in 2004 was estimated at 78,500; taxable value has grown along with population. The total increase between 1994 and 2004 in the four school districts was $4.5 billion.

The average levy rate for Island County for the year 2005 was $9.10725 per $1,000 of taxable value.

Republicans Jones and Mason face off in the Sept. 19 primary. The winner will run against Democrat Mattens in November.

Each provided the crowd with a little personal history and a glimpse of their campaign strategy.

Acknowledging he doesn’t have a background in taxes or appraisals, Mattens stressed his leadership qualities. He spent 25 years in the Navy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including two years aboard a 215-foot research vessel in the Bering Strait.

“I bring a lot of management experience to the table, taught computers at Shoreline College and was treasurer of Island Dance Theater,” Mattens said. “Fairness, efficiency and transparency are the keys to my campaign.”

Mattens also wants to bring the assessor’s office into the 21st century.

“We need a seamless flow of data and information both within the office and between departments, something now missing,” he added.

Mason has been the coordinator for the Island County Board of Equalization for 11 years.

“This election presents us with the best chance to make the assessment process the best it can be,” Mason said.

He added that he wants a fair and accurate process “at the lowest cost, without asking taxpayers for more money.”

Jones noted that he was the only candidate with appraisal experience, with 18 years on the job. Currently he is a commercial appraiser and levy analyst for Island County and is involved in the statistical updating of rate values with advanced computer modeling.

“I have the professional expertise to understand the problem and how to fix it. I want your vote to help keep taxes reasonable and predictable,” Jones said.

The candidates also dealt with audience questions regarding tax rates and senior citizen exemptions.

Jeff VanDerford can be reached at 221-5300 or e-mail jvanderford@southwhidbeyrecord.com.