- January 9, 2025
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CHRISTOPHER GRAHAM CASLER
1. Why is this department so important? Why should people care about the office of the property appraiser?
The Orange County Property Appraiser is responsible for evaluating and discovering the value of all real property in the county. This in turn determines the basis for real estate taxes, which are indispensible to all the functions of county government.
People should care because it enables them to determine the fair market value of their homes and other property based on its current condition and the prevailing conditions in the overall market. The current property appraiser is politically self-serving, continually putting his name before the public rather than acting as a true public servant.
2. How would you rate the performance of the Orange County Property Appraiser’s Office and why?
The office can be run more efficiently by eliminating such things as vehicle wraps that feature the current property appraiser’s portrait. The office calls for an honest, efficient and impartial means to evaluate properties.
3. What changes need to be made to the department?
I propose a complete audit of the current process to find more efficient, cost effective, and accurate means of determining property values and to improve the appeals process.
4. What changes would you suggest to the appraisal process?
5. Do you think the property appraiser’s name should be on the department vehicles? Why or why not?
No. The property appraiser’s name should not be on the office’s vehicles as this smacks of political self-aggrandizement. A true public servant would seek to manage an office that serves the public and not himself.
6. If there is a potential downturn in the economy, how would that affect the property appraiser’s office?
Should there be a downturn in the economy, it will likely affect appraised property values and subsequent tax receipts. A method should be sought to make adjustments to property values, even if that means retroactive adjustments.
7. How do you plan to address growth in Horizon West?
Horizon West and other growth and development in the county has more to do with environmental and planning matters than property appraisal, although the value of property is affected by new development. It is the property appraiser’s responsibility to ascertain current property values, and these may change rapidly, necessitating review and revision more often the usual five-yearly adjustments.
8. What qualities/skills do you bring to the position?
I have broad experience working with people in situations as varied as motion picture productions to Boy Scout troops. I was instrumental in the development of an airline in the Pacific that served Micronesia, and I was founder and owner of a minor league football team, The Florida Crusaders. I am active in my church.
9. Why are you the best candidate?
I am known for my organizational skills, my ability to reach a conclusion based on the facts, and to develop and implement a plan. Above all, I bring a record untainted by previous political baggage and will do my level best to be an accessible, fair, and dedicated public servant.
10. Personal information
Age: 68
Residence: Orlando
Marital status: Married
Children: A daughter at UCF, a son at Florida State Medical School, and my younger son matriculates at Northwestern University this fall.
Education: Learned Dutch and Spanish while growing up in countries including The Netherlands, Panama, Venezuela, and Malaysia; The Hotchkiss School, 1967; University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Class of 1971.
EDWARD DeAGUILERA
1. Why is this department so important? Why should people care about the office of the property appraiser?
The office of the Orange County Property Appraiser is crucial to local government. The office assesses property within Orange County, both commercial and residential, for the taxing process. The Property Appraiser is an administrative role whose duty is to value property that will determine your tax to be paid to local government.
The office also is crucial in educating the population on important exemptions like Save our Homes, widow/widower, disability, military/veterans, among others.
The Property Appraiser is an independently elected official and is vital to the funding of local schools and local government.
2. How would you rate the performance of the Orange County Property Appraiser’s Office and why?
I would rate it an F! Our current property appraiser has repeatedly demonstrated a lack of good moral judgment as a steward of our tax dollar. He's used our taxes to sue the citizens of Orange County because he wasn’t happy with their vote on November 2016.
He's utilizing office staff to campaign for him under the guise of door-to-door "information" canvassing. In addition, he has continuously used the office of the Property Appraiser as a political department. The role of the Orange County Property Appraiser is administrative; politics has no business in this office.
He's been reckless with our tax dollar, and that’s why I believe he rates an "F."
3. What changes need to be made to the department?
A FULL Audit; the office of the Orange County Property Appraiser needs to become fully transparent. Recently the office has made purchases on the backs of the Orange County taxpayer. We need to make sure that efficiency and full transparency is the norm for this office.
4. What changes would you suggest to the appraisal process?
Full transparency and open access. We need to set standards for ALL properties in Orange County and operate under the sunshine. Let us follow the law and not use the office as a political hot potato.
5. Do you think the property appraiser’s name should be on the department vehicles? Why or why not?
Absolutely not! As an example, the sheriff doesn’t have his name on any of his vehicle fleet. Why should the property appraiser have it on his? The vehicles are not his personal property; they belong to that office. This is another example of poor moral judgment and utilizing tax dollars for political purposes.
6. If there is a potential downturn in the economy, how would that affect the property appraiser’s office?
As witnessed, Orange County is fueled by growth and expansion of property value. These values determine the taxing process. Downturn, especially in the real estate market, has a direct effect to valuations of property and could lead to lower tax collections. These lower tax collections could mean less service to Orange County.
This is why it is imperative that the office of the Orange County Property Appraiser must be efficient and respectful to the public funding it receives.
7. How do you plan to address growth in Horizon West?
As a lifelong resident of West Orange County, Horizon West is the future of our region. The office of the Orange County Property Appraiser does not have any influence on the growth patterns; this is office is purely administrative. If elected, I would hold to the strict standards and adhere to full transparency on the valuations of this growth area.
8. What qualities/skills do you bring to the position?
Executive for more than two decades in the nonprofit arena, commissioner for the Orange County Charter Review Commission, past chair of the City of Orlando Nuisance Abatement Advisory Board, former small-business owner.
I understand the importance of tax funding and will treat that funding with the highest of respect. The public funding does not belong to the elected official, it belongs to the citizens of our community.
9. Why are you the best candidate?
I was born and raised in Orange County and have dedicated my life to public service. For the past two decades I have worked in the nonprofit field and understand the importance of being a good steward of our funds.
Being a good steward to public funds is one of the most important duties of the office of the Property Appraiser. So often we have seen inappropriate use such as exorbitant cost of lavish dinners, fleets of automobiles, extended overnight travel, even suing its own citizens of Orange County.
Orange County deserves someone who respects its citizens and understands that the money is OUR money and does not belong to the Property Appraiser.
10. Personal information
Edward DeAguilera, 41
Wife, Freda DeAguilera; two children, daughter, Delaney, 11, and son, Edward, 7
University of Central Florida & Columbia College – Bachelors in Political Science
President/CEO of the Down Syndrome Association of Central Florida
Served on the Orange County Charter Review Commission
Former Chairman of the City of Orlando Criminal Nuisance Abatement Advisory Board
Endorsed by West Orange Political Alliance, Asian American Hotel Owners Association, Commissioner Scott Boyd, Commissioner Jennifer Thompson, Commissioner Pete Clarke, Apopka Commissioner Diane Valazquez
RICK SINGH
1. Why is this department so important? Why should people care about the office of the property appraiser?
Orange County has one of the most complex and unique tax rolls in the world. That’s why it is important to have an experienced professional serving in this office. When I was first elected, I became the first state-certified appraiser to be elected as the Orange County Florida property appraiser.
Almost 20 years ago, I became a field appraiser for OCPA, where I worked my way up through the ranks of the agency, and in 1999 became a state-certified residential appraiser. The hands-on experience gained proved invaluable as I now oversee the operations and growth of this busy office.
2. How would you rate the performance of the Orange County Property Appraiser’s Office and why?
One of my first priorities after being sworn in on Jan. 13, 2013, was to ensure efficiency. Using the integration of new technologies and innovations, property appraisal assessments are now more accurate. Thanks to mobile technology, real-time property assessment is done more quickly and efficiently in the field.
3. What changes need to be made to the department?
During my first year in office, OCPA returned more than $51 million to the Orange County tax base by vigorously pursuing fraudulent claims through improved compliance investigation work. Between Homestead fraud and Tangible Personal Property audits, more than $550 million dollars has been given back to Orange County taxpayers as of July 2016. That number continues to grow.
4. What changes would you suggest to the appraisal process?
Part of my vision is to make OCPA more customer-focused and user-friendly. Delivering essential services faster, increasing efficiency to save taxpayers money and electronically updating maps and records are among the many improvements the office has undertaken. I value full transparency, citizen feedback and our office has also adopted an open-door policy. This all means better service delivered at lower costs to residents of Orange County.
5. Do you think the property appraiser’s name should be on the department vehicles? Why or why not?
Each employee is provided an environmentally friendly hybrid vehicle that is well-marked and easily identifiable as a vehicle belonging to the Orange County Property Appraiser. Each vehicle has the property appraiser’s direct email address prominently displayed so the community knows we are active in their neighborhoods and from the top of our agency through each employee, we care about the services we provide to the community, and I am held accountable.
6. If there is a potential downturn in the economy, how would that affect the property appraiser’s office?
As a state-certified appraiser with both private and public appraisal experience, I have experienced both the ups and downs of our economy. To prepare for those downturns, we have hired and trained the best appraisal staff in the mass appraisal business.
7. How do you plan to address growth in Horizon West?
We have fairly, equitably and competently picked up all assets in Horizon West. In addition, we recently held a state of West Orange County for area residents.
8. What qualities/skills do you bring to the position?
I am both a licensed real estate broker and a state-certified residential appraiser with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, and my extensive experience in real estate, government and civic activities is a perfect fit for the duties of Orange County Property Appraiser. During my early years with OCPA, I assessed thousands of properties and defended the office’s position on assessments at the Value Adjustment Board.
My experience also includes successfully completing more than 100 hours of professional appraisal courses with the International Association of Assessing Officers and earning both the Certified Florida Appraiser and Certified Florida Evaluator designations from the Florida Department of Revenue.
I am also qualified in a wide range of valuation applications, including financial reporting, tax compliance, corporate finance, restructurings and litigation support. My entrepreneurial spirit led me to begin a real estate company and my own appraisal firm. During that time, I hired, trained, managed and reviewed numerous appraisers, brokers and sales agents.
9. Why are you the best candidate?
As a proud veteran, I am honored to serve Orange County residents, just as I am honored to have served the United States. After graduating from high school from the prestigious Aviation High School in New York, I enlisted in the U.S. Army and was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division Mechanized. There, I worked on Helicopter Armament Subsystems, including tactical devices and hardware for weapons like machine guns, grenade launchers, auto-cannons and rockets. I was honorably discharged in 1986.
Having made Orlando my home for more than 25 years, I am active in the community and hold memberships in several organizations – serving on the boards of the American Lung Association, Boy Scouts of America Central Florida Council and SHARES International Florida Hospital Fund and on the Advisory Board of the World Affairs Council of Central Florida.
I am also a member of the Rotary Club of Orlando, the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Orlando Economic Development Foundation, the Orlando Regional REALTOR Association and the IAAO and an honorary chairperson for the non-profit organization Florida Diversity Inc.
For the last three years, I’ve been the host for the annual Mahatma Gandhi breakfast that honors community leaders for outstanding service. I was honored to receive the prestigious accolade, the distinguished U.S. Senator Bill Nelson award for public service.
10. Personal information
My wife Debbie and I are very proud of our two children, who both attended the University of Central Florida – Amrita, an attorney, and Avinash, an appraiser.
Age: 54
City: Windermere
Education: Masters of Art Management and Counseling.
Endorsements
· Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer
· Orlando City Commissioner District 6 Sam Ings
· Orlando City Commissioner District 5 Regina Hill
· Orlando Regional Realtors Association (ORRA)
· Orange County Professional Fire Fighters
· Fraternal Order of Police
· Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC)
· City of Orlando Fire Department
· Central Florida AFL-CIO
