Joaquin Torres

• Office: Assessor-Recorder
• Election Date: November 3, 2026
• Candidate: Joaquin Torres
• Due Date: July 1, 2026
• Printable Version

Thank you for seeking GrowSF's endorsement for the November 3, 2026 election! GrowSF believes in a growing, beautiful, vibrant, healthy, safe, and prosperous city delivered via common sense solutions and effective government. Our work includes running public opinion polls to understand what voters want, advocating for those changes, and ensuring that the SF government represents the people.

The GrowSF endorsement committee will review all completed questionnaires and seek consensus on which candidates best align with our vision for San Francisco.

This questionnaire will be published on growsf.org, and so we hope that you use this opportunity to communicate with voters.

Please complete this questionnaire by July 1, 2026 so we have enough time to adequately review and discuss your answers.

• Your Goals
• Executive Leadership
• The Issues
• Personal
• Thank you

Your Goals

We’d like to get some details about your high-level goals and how you intend to use your elected office to achieve them.

In your own words, what are the core responsibilities of the Assessor-Recorder? Which responsibilities are primarily technical or statutory, and where do you have discretion to improve accuracy, transparency, or fairness?

My office is responsible for two core functions: ensuring that taxable property is assessed fairly and accurately under California law, and maintaining and protecting San Francisco's official public records, including property transactions, liens, maps, and other recorded documents. These responsibilities are governed by state law and require the office to apply consistent valuation standards, administer property tax exemptions, enroll changes in ownership, and securely record and preserve public records.

While those statutory responsibilities are clearly defined, the office has significant discretion in how it serves the public. That includes investing in technology, improving customer service, making information more accessible, communicating complex assessment issues in plain language, and ensuring residents can easily understand and navigate assessment and recordation processes. My goal has been to modernize the office while maintaining fairness, consistency, and public trust.

What relevant experience, perspective(s), or idea(s) makes you uniquely qualified to be an effective Assessor-Recorder?

As the current Assessor, I oversee an office of nearly 200 staff responsible for assessing more than $350 billion in taxable property and maintaining millions of official public records. During my tenure, we have modernized key public-facing services by launching the SMART online portal, providing the first free online access to millions of recorded documents in California, reducing document access costs for the public, and expanding digital services to make government more accessible and efficient.

Prior to becoming Assessor, I spent my career in public service focused on economic opportunity, workforce development, housing, and neighborhood revitalization. I served for more than a decade on the San Francisco Housing Authority Commission, including as its President, to help oversee significant investments in public housing modernization.

These experiences reinforced the importance of effective government administration, responsible stewardship of public resources, and delivering high-quality public service.

How do you intend to use your experience to improve operations in the office of the Assessor-Recorder? Please name 1-3 goals you have for your term.

Building on the progress we've made, my priorities for the next term are:

1. Continue modernizing customer service. Expand online services, improve self-service tools, and simplify interactions so residents and businesses can access information and complete transactions more efficiently.
2. Increase transparency and accessibility. Continue improving public access to assessment information and recorded documents while making complex property tax processes easier to understand through clear communication and educational resources.
3. Strengthen operational excellence. Invest in new technology, staff development, and data quality to ensure assessments remain accurate, timely, and equitable while maintaining reliable recordation services for the public.

And of course, to continue the robust community outreach and engagement across the City so residents have all the information, resources, and tools they need to best engage with our office.

Will the power of the office of the Assessor-Recorder be enough to achieve these goals?

Of course. The goals I've outlined: modernizing technology, improving customer service, increasing transparency, and strengthening operational excellence are all well within my authority as Assessor. As the elected head of the department, I have the ability to set priorities, manage operations, invest in technology, develop our workforce, and build a culture focused on continuous improvement.

Success, however, also depends on collaboration. Throughout my tenure, I've worked closely with the Mayor's Office, the Board of Supervisors, the Controller, and stakeholders to secure the resources necessary to modernize one of the City's most technical departments. I'm proud that we've built strong working relationships that have allowed us to advance major technology investments while remaining fiscally responsible and focused on delivering better service to the public.

I also currently serve as Chair of the Legislative Committee for the California Assessors' Association, where I work with assessors from across California to review legislation affecting property tax administration and advocate for practical improvements to state law.

That role gives me the opportunity to help shape statewide policy when statutory changes are needed, while continuing to improve how San Francisco administers the laws already on the books.

While broader reforms to California's property tax system require action by the Legislature and voters, I believe the Assessor-Recorder has significant authority to improve how those laws are implemented. My focus will continue to be on delivering a department that is accurate, transparent, technologically modern, and responsive to the people we serve.

What is an "out there" change that you would make to state/local government policy, if you could? For the purpose of this question, you are not constrained to the office of the Assessor-Recorder.

If I could pursue one broader policy change, I would support thoughtful reforms to Proposition 19 that address some of its unintended consequences. While Proposition 19 sought to modernize aspects of California's property tax system, it also significantly changed the ability of many families to pass homes from one generation to the next. For many long-time California families, homeownership has been one of the primary avenues for building intergenerational wealth and maintaining community stability.

I believe there is room for a more balanced approach that preserves the integrity of the property tax system while recognizing the value of helping families remain in the communities where they have lived for generations. I would welcome reforms that are equitable, fiscally responsible, and carefully targeted to address those unintended impacts without undermining the broader goals of the state's property tax laws.

Executive Leadership

The Assessor-Recorder must operate independently despite pressure from property owners, developers, and political actors. What safeguards currently exist, and what will you put in place, to ensure impartiality and ethical decision-making in assessments and recordation?

The integrity of the office depends on applying California law consistently, regardless of who owns a property or what political or economic interests may be involved. The office already operates within a strong framework of statutory requirements, professional appraisal standards, public disclosure laws, ethics rules, and an independent assessment appeals process that provides property owners with due process.

Our work and decisions are always based on facts, data, and the law, never outside influence. My staff are trained to apply uniform appraisal methodologies, document valuation decisions, and follow established procedures that ensure consistency across all property types.

Going forward, along with continued staff training and internal quality assurance, we’re working to explore new technology and AI solutions that could improve customer service and transparency. Modernizing our systems allows us to better document decisions, improve data quality, and reduce opportunities for human error.

Property valuation is becoming more complex amid volatility and new development types. Please describe a time you managed a technically complex system under pressure.

When I took office, one of my top priorities was modernizing an office that had long relied on aging technology while continuing to perform its legally required responsibilities without interruption. The office is responsible for administering assessments on more than $350 billion in taxable property while also maintaining millions of official public records that residents, businesses, lenders, and government agencies rely on every day.

Over the past several years, we successfully implemented major technology initiatives, including launching the SMART online portal and creating California's first free online access to millions of recorded documents. These projects required coordinating across multiple divisions, managing vendors, safeguarding sensitive public data, training staff, and ensuring uninterrupted public service throughout implementation.

At the same time, we navigated one of the most dynamic commercial real estate markets in recent history, with changing office values, evolving property uses, and increasing demand for accurate, timely assessments. Throughout that period, my focus remained the same: invest in the right technology, empower our professional staff, and ensure every decision was grounded in sound appraisal practices and California law.

How will you communicate assessment changes and policy decisions clearly to the public to maintain trust, especially during periods of economic transition?

Communication is one of the most important responsibilities of a public administrator, particularly in a technical office where state property tax laws can be difficult to understand. If residents don't understand why a decision was made or how to navigate the process, then we haven't done our job.

That's why I made community education a core function of the Office. For example, through our annual Family Wealth Conference, “Assessor in the Neighborhood” events at libraries across San Francisco, estate planning workshops, multilingual presentations, public budget hearings, and partnerships with community-based organizations, we've created opportunities for residents to engage with our office before they have a problem to solve.

Last year's Family Wealth Conference alone brought together 300 residents and 16 partner organizations to provide education on property taxes, estate planning, Proposition 13 and Proposition 19, homeowners insurance, and financial planning. It was also a direct response to a 40% increase in customer inquiries over the prior two years, demonstrating our commitment to proactively meeting the public's needs.

Technology is equally important. As I've mentioned, we've modernized our website, launched the SMART community portal, expanded online self-service options, and made millions of public records available online for free because transparency begins with making information accessible.

The Issues

Next, we will cover the issues that voters tell us they care about. We hope to gain a better understanding of your policy positions, and we hope that you use this opportunity to communicate with voters.

Accurate assessments are critical for public trust and city revenues. How will you ensure property assessments are accurate, timely, and equitable across residential, commercial, and mixed-use properties? Please name one performance metric you would track (e.g., assessment appeals rate, correction rate, processing time).

One of my primary responsibilities as Assessor-Recorder is ensuring every property—whether it's a single-family home, a neighborhood business, or a major commercial development—is assessed fairly, accurately, and in accordance with California law. Public trust depends on knowing that everyone is treated consistently and pays their fair share.

We've made strategic investments in technology and operations to help our professional appraisal staff work more efficiently while maintaining the high standards required of this office. Those investments have become even more important as San Francisco experiences the highest volume of assessment appeals since the Great Recession. Despite those challenges, our focus remains on meeting every statutory deadline while ensuring assessments are based on sound appraisal principles and the best available market data.

The performance metric I monitor most closely is processing time. Timely completion of assessment work is essential to meeting statutory deadlines, providing certainty to taxpayers, and ensuring local governments receive the revenues needed to deliver public services. By continuing to modernize our systems and invest in our workforce, we can improve efficiency without sacrificing fairness or accuracy.

San Francisco’s commercial real-estate market is undergoing rapid change. How should the Assessor-Recorder approach reassessment, valuation, and recordation for vacant commercial properties and office-to-housing conversions? What steps would you take to ensure assessments reflect economic reality without destabilizing the tax base?

The Assessor-Recorder's responsibility is not to influence the market but to apply California law fairly and consistently to every property. Whether we're assessing a condominium, a neighborhood retail space, or a downtown office tower, our mission is the same: to produce fair and accurate valuations based on legally established appraisal standards and the best available market evidence.

San Francisco's commercial real estate market has experienced significant change over the past several years. Our experienced appraisal staff evaluate each property based on its individual facts and circumstances, including current market conditions, applicable income data, comparable sales, and legal requirements under California law. Office-to-housing conversions present new valuation considerations, but they should be treated with the same objective, fact-based approach throughout each stage of the development process.

Fair and accurate assessments are essential to maintaining confidence in government. They ensure taxpayers are treated equitably, support stable public revenues, and reinforce the integrity of the property tax system.

The experience of many property owners is that the assessment and appeals process is opaque and slow. What reforms would you implement to improve transparency, accessibility, and turnaround times for assessments and appeals? What measurable improvement would you aim to deliver by 2028?

The theme of my first term has been access. Specifically, to make the office easier for the public to understand, easier to navigate, and easier to do business with.

We've made significant progress by modernizing our technology through the SMART platform, expanding online services, providing free online access to millions of recorded documents, and increasing community outreach through initiatives like our Family Wealth Conference, Assessor in the Neighborhood events, and multilingual educational workshops. Those investments help residents understand their property taxes before they become problems.

We've also worked to better explain what falls within the responsibilities of the Assessor-Recorder and what is handled by other entities, such as the independent Assessment Appeals Board. Helping taxpayers understand where to go and what to expectis an important part of improving the overall customer experience.

By 2028, my goal is to continue reducing processing times while ensuring the office has the technology, staffing, and resources necessary to work through the historically high volume of appeals and continue meeting our statutory obligations. Success means a process that is faster, more transparent, and easier for property owners to navigate.

The Assessor-Recorder manages some of the city’s most important public records. What specific data or technology upgrades would you prioritize to improve public access, data accuracy, and operational efficiency?

Technology modernization has been one of my highest priorities because it directly improves both customer service and operational efficiency. See above regarding SMART and how we became the first county in California to provide free online access to more than seven million recorded documents dating back to 1990, dramatically expanding public access while reducing costs for residents.

Looking ahead, I want to continue building on that foundation by expanding online self-service tools, improving integration between assessment and recordation systems, strengthening data quality controls, and providing better status tracking so residents have greater visibility into their requests.

Every technology investment should have one goal: making the government easier to use while giving our professional staff better tools to serve the public efficiently and accurately.

Please describe how you would approach customer service as Assessor-Recorder. Please include the metrics you’d track to ensure you’re delivering high quality service.

Customer service is one of the most important responsibilities of the office. Every interaction is an opportunity to help someone better understand the property tax system, protect their property rights, or access an important public record.

My philosophy is that government should be accessible, responsive, and easy to understand. That's why we've invested not only in technology, but also in proactive community outreach and workshops. These efforts help residents access exemptions, understand changes in state law, and make informed financial decisions.

I believe customer service should be measured. I would continue tracking response times for calls and emails, processing times for assessments and recorded documents, customer satisfaction, online service utilization, and participation in community outreach events. Together, these metrics provide a clear picture of whether we're delivering the responsive, transparent, and high-quality public service San Franciscans deserve.

Personal

Tell us a bit about yourself!

What is your professional background?

I have spent my career working at the intersection of public service, economic opportunity, and community development. Before serving as San Francisco's Assessor-Recorder, I held leadership roles at the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development, where I worked on neighborhood revitalization, workforce development, small business support, and initiatives to strengthen the City's economy. Earlier in my career, I worked in the nonprofit sector, helping connect young people and underserved communities with educational and employment opportunities.

In addition to my professional experience, I served for more than a decade on the San Francisco Housing Authority Commission, including as President, where I helped oversee significant investments in public housing modernization and resident services. Those experiences shaped my belief that government works best when it is transparent, accountable, and focused on delivering real results for the people it serves.

Today, as Assessor-Recorder, I oversee a department of nearly 200 employees responsible for fairly assessing more than $350 billion in taxable property and maintaining millions of official public records. My focus has been on modernizing the office, improving customer service, expanding public access, and ensuring we fulfill our constitutional responsibilities with integrity and professionalism.

How long have you lived in San Francisco? What brought you here and what keeps you here?

I moved to San Francisco in 2009 and will celebrate 17 years here this August (to work on Gavin Newsom’s first gubernatorial campaign).

San Francisco is a city where residents care deeply about their neighborhoods, support one another, and are willing to invest their time and energy to make our communities stronger. It has been an honor to build my career here and to serve the city that has given me so many opportunities. I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.

What do you love most about San Francisco?

What I love most about San Francisco is its remarkable diversity of people, cultures, ideas, neighborhoods, and industries. Few places in the world bring together so many different perspectives in such a small geographic area.

That diversity fuels creativity, entrepreneurship, civic engagement, and a willingness to solve difficult problems together. Whether it's our small businesses, artists, nonprofit organizations, research institutions, or technology companies, San Francisco continues to be a place where innovation and community go hand in hand.

What do you dislike the most about San Francisco?

San Francisco is one of the wealthiest and most innovative cities in the world, yet too many of our neighbors continue to struggle with housing insecurity, the high cost of living, and access to basic necessities like affordable childcare and economic opportunity.

I believe we should hold ourselves to a higher standard. A city with our resources should continue working toward solutions that make San Francisco more affordable, more equitable, and more accessible so that families, seniors, workers, and young people can continue to build their futures here.

Tell us about your current involvement in the community (e.g., volunteer groups, neighborhood associations, civic and professional organizations, etc.)

I serve as President of the ACT Board, Vice Chair of the Community Investment Fund, and Chair of the Legislative Committee for the California Assessors' Association, where I work with assessors from across the state to review legislation affecting property tax administration and advocate for practical improvements to California's assessment laws.

Why do you want to run for public office?

Serving as Assessor-Recorder has given me the opportunity to lead one of San Francisco's most important constitutional offices through a period of significant modernization while maintaining the integrity and professionalism the public expects. We've expanded digital services, improved public access to records, strengthened customer service, and invested in the systems and people that keep the office running effectively.

I'm running for another term because that work is not finished. I remain committed to building an Assessor-Recorder's Office that is transparent, innovative, efficient, and responsive to every San Franciscan. I hope I can count on GrowSF’s support to help my campaign communicate to the public everything I’ve listed above and why I’m proudly running again. Thank you!

Thank you

Thank you for giving us your time and answering our questionnaire. We look forward to reading your answers and considering your candidacy!