Since his successful run for Island County assessor, Democrat Dave Mattens said there’s been a few surprises.

First were the calls from the other side of the aisle.

“County commissioner Mike Shelton called to congratulate me and recommended I attend the Washington Association of County Officers training next month, which I plan to do. It was very gracious of him,” Mattens said.

And incumbent Tom Baenen, whose job Mattens will assume on Jan. 2, told him not to be a stranger.

“Tom has indicated he wants to help make the transition go smoothly,” Mattens said.

Positive reaction from the embattled appraiser’s office has been universal.

“They want to go out and do the right thing and are looking for leadership,” he said.

On the other hand, his opponent, Don Mason, hasn’t called to concede. “I haven’t heard a word from him,” Mattens said. “After all the votes are counted, I’ll reach out.”

The race is no longer in question, though. Mattens beat Mason in the general election by 14,105 votes to 11,476 — a 55 to 45 percent difference in the vote — and there are only a couple thousand ballots left to count as of Nov. 16.

It was a hard-fought campaign. Mason, a clerk for the county’s Board of Equalization, started his campaign early and outspent Mattens by a 2-to-1 margin.

Their trails will no doubt cross at the county campus in Coupeville. As clerk for the Board of Equalization, Mason arranges appointments for property owners who disagree with the assessed value of their property, so the two men will be interacting to some extent.

Mattens is hoping to build an amicable working relationship with board members.

“The appeals process is very important,” Mattens said. “People need to talk to their appraiser first and if that doesn’t work, I’ll be happy to sit down with them to make sure the process has been handled fairly.”

Even so, Mattens said he has a goal to radically reduce the number of appeals.

Another goal is to get the county’s computer-aided mass appraisal system to work. Technology was a key issue during both the primary and general elections and the state auditor has repeatedly criticized the property appraisal system in the county assessor’s office in recent years. The most recent audit specifically cited the county’s out-of-date computer system, and said it could not be relied on to produce accurate property values.

Mattens insists it’s a serious issue that he will address.

“That report confirmed all the common knowledge and testimony from the assessor’s office over the years about the need to replace — not upgrade or improve — the current system,” Mattens said.

“We need correct, accurate technology, a seamless flow of data and information within the office and between departments, something that is now missing,” he added.

“The report said the county has roughly 50,0000 parcels that are worth from $9 billion to $11 billion; that’s serious money and island taxpayers need to be sure their assessor knows what he’s doing,” Mattens said.

Many expect Mattens to hit the ground running once he takes over as assessor. Since declaring his candidacy, he has studied hard and talked to several experts to get him up to speed.

Mattens was born in Indiana in 1956, but grew up across the state line in Michigan. He joined the Navy and became an electronics technician. Though hopeful of an air traffic control posting, he ended up on an amphibious ship directing helicopters and Marine jets.

In 1980, he used the G.I Bill to get a degree in geologic engineering from Michigan Technical University, then was commissioned as an ensign from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in New York. Balancing sea duty and shore billets, Mattens eventually served in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, surveying the ocean floor to update navigation charts. He later ran the agency’s management information systems program.

He retired from NOAA in 2001 and currently teaches computer technology at Shoreline Community College.

Both Mattens and Mason ran aggressive campaigns. While Mason spent roughly $40,000 in the race, Mattens raised about $19,000 in contributions. He said he was determined to be frugal.

“I tried to be careful how the money was spent,” Mattens said. “For instance, we ordered signs 4 feet by 4 feet, then cut them in half. I got double the mileage.”

Mattens ended the campaign roughly $4,000 in the black.

He hosted a party Friday night to thank his friends for supporting his victorious first run for office.

Roughly 70 Democrats and a few Republicans showed up to hear Mattens voice his thanks. His twin sons Evan and Aaron, who entertained the crowd with his sax, and wife Diane and daughter Michela were on hand as well.

Parties are always fun, but Mattens knows it’s time to get to work.

“This is our chance to really focus on the issues, not people,” he said. “We need to re-group and be ready to accomplish great things. I’m ready.”

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