Bainbridge Island resident Garry Sobeck kicked off his election campaign for Kitsap County Assessor March 17.

Sobeck retired in 2012 as Division Chief in the San Diego County Assessor’s office and returned to his childhood home in Puget Sound with his wife and daughter.

“I see an opportunity to continue in public service and to serve my community,” Sobeck said. “I have unique experience in a large county assessor’s office, performing property assessments, supervising other apprais-ers, defending assessment appeals, managing the appeals team, and during the last four years, managing the entire tax roll closing process. I have spent many years on statewide committees to ensure statewide valuation uniformity of special and unique type properties.”

Sobeck was born in Seattle and raised in Lakewood before relocating to San Diego where he worked in the county assessor’s office for the last 15 years. Sobeck began as an appraiser and worked his way up to Division Chief in record time. Sobeck was elected as a Pension Trustee, for three terms managing $9.3 billion in retirement assets, on behalf of public employees of the county. In addition he was Pension Board Chairman from 2007 to 2009. Sobeck was also former president of the San Diego County Society of Certified Appraisers.

“I believe the assessor must treat all taxpayers fairly, and oversee an equitable appeals process,” he said.

After returning to Puget Sound, Sobeck has been active in the Rotary, and numerous non-profit organizations in Kitsap County. Sobeck has already received the endorsement of former Washington State Senator Phil Rockefeller. In addition, he has also received the endorsement of the current San Diego County Assessor, Recorder, and County Clerk, Ernest Dronenburg.