Neysa Fligor: Santa Clara County’s First Elected Female Assessor

On January 26, 2026, Neysa Fligor was sworn in as Santa Clara County Assessor — the first woman elected to the position and the first Black/African-American woman to serve as a county assessor anywhere in California. She took charge of an office responsible for valuing more than 500,000 properties assessed at over $750 billion, covering one of the most expensive and complex real estate markets in the country.

A Georgetown-educated attorney, state-certified property tax appraiser, and former Hewlett-Packard senior counsel, Fligor had spent years working inside the very office she now leads. Her path to the role ran through a competitive four-candidate special election triggered by the retirement of Larry Stone, who held the office for more than 30 years. This profile covers her background, career, the 2025 election, and what her leadership means for Santa Clara County.

Quick Facts: Neysa Fligor

Background and Education

Fligor was born in Jamaica and later moved to the United States for her education. She earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations and political science from Florida International University, followed by a law degree from Georgetown University. That combination — international perspective and legal precision — shaped a career that moved between law, private-sector corporate counsel, local governance, and public administration.

Her legal training proved directly relevant to the assessor’s role, where property law, government finance, and the strict requirements of Proposition 13 all intersect on a daily basis.

Career Path: From County Attorney to Assessor

County Counsel and Early Assessor’s Office Work

Fligor began her public-sector career as an attorney for Santa Clara County, where she represented the assessor’s office in contested property value appeals. That work gave her direct experience with the legal disputes that drive much of the office’s highest-stakes activity — cases where major corporations challenge the assessed values of their properties.

Nine Years at Hewlett-Packard

Fligor spent approximately nine years in the private sector as a senior attorney at Hewlett-Packard. Her time at one of Silicon Valley’s legacy companies gave her familiarity with the corporate side of property valuation and appeals — experience that later proved useful when dealing with large commercial taxpayers from inside the assessor’s office.

Return to the Assessor’s Office

Fligor rejoined the assessor’s office as a special assistant to Larry Stone and was subsequently promoted to assistant assessor following Stone’s retirement announcement. In that role, she was responsible for the 250-person office’s day-to-day operations, including the annual assessment roll process and a multi-million-dollar project to replace the office’s four-decade-old COBOL-based software system — a system that dated back to 1959-era programming language, with reportedly only one remaining staff member who understood it.

She holds a California State Board of Equalization Certified Property Tax Appraiser certification — a credential required by state law for California assessors, and one that none of her 2025 election opponents held.

Los Altos City Council

Fligor was elected to the Los Altos City Council in 2018 and re-elected in 2022, serving as vice mayor. During her council tenure, she also served as president of the Cities Association of Santa Clara County, a regional leadership role that connected her to municipal officials across the county. Her elected-office experience added a dimension her administrative opponents lacked: direct accountability to voters, public hearings, and the political realities of local governance.

What Does the Santa Clara County Assessor Do?

The county assessor identifies all taxable property within the county, determines its assessed value, and delivers that assessment roll to the tax collector. The assessor does not set tax rates, collect taxes, or grant tax exemptions — those functions belong to separate offices.

This distinction matters. During the 2025 campaign, Fligor’s runoff opponent Rishi Kumar promoted a “Prop 13 approach” that included exempting all property owners age 60 and older from property taxes — a promise the assessor’s office has no legal authority to fulfill.

Santa Clara County is not a typical jurisdiction for this work. It is home to Alphabet, Apple, NVIDIA, Intel, Cisco, and HP, among other major corporations. These companies have deep pockets and routinely appeal their assessed valuations. Currently, $142 billion in assessed value is under dispute in the county — a figure that has doubled since 2019 and now represents roughly 20% of the total assessment roll, nearly all of it from commercial properties.

The persistent shift to remote work since the COVID pandemic has driven down office property values, fueling a surge in corporate appeals. Managing this requires an assessor who understands both property appraisal methodology and litigation strategy.

The 2025 Special Election

Why the Election Happened

Larry Stone announced his retirement in June 2025 after more than three decades as Santa Clara County Assessor, a position he had held since 1994. He left office before his term expired, triggering a special election to fill the remainder of the term.

The Candidates

Four candidates entered the November 4, 2025, special general election:

• Neysa Fligor — Los Altos Vice Mayor and Assistant County Assessor. Attorney and BOE-certified property tax appraiser.
• Yan Zhao — Saratoga City Council member and two-term mayor. Electrical engineer and computer scientist with nearly 30 years in Silicon Valley’s semiconductor industry. Held a professional residential appraiser license and had completed BOE coursework, having planned her candidacy since 2023.
• Rishi Kumar — Former Saratoga City Council member. Mechanical engineer and senior tech executive. Had run three unsuccessful campaigns for Congress as a Democrat. Campaigned on property tax exemptions for seniors — authority the assessor does not possess.
• Bryan Do — President of the East Side Union High School District Board. Described himself as an investor and startup founder but declined to share a resume with editorial boards.

November 2025 Primary Results

Fligor led the four-candidate field with 38% of the vote — well ahead of the other candidates but short of the 50% threshold needed to win outright. She and second-place finisher Rishi Kumar advanced to the December 30 runoff.

December 2025 Runoff Results

The runoff was the last election of 2025 in the United States, conducted during the holiday season — a timing choice that depressed turnout. The county Registrar of Voters opened vote centers on Christmas Day for the first time in county history.

Total ballots cast: 218,204 — just 20.4% of the county’s 1,071,024 registered voters. Fligor’s margin of victory was approximately 66,000 votes. Kumar conceded on December 31. The runoff was estimated to cost $13 million.

Endorsements and Campaign Finance

Fligor assembled endorsements spanning the political spectrum. Her endorsers included outgoing Assessor Larry Stone, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, Representatives Sam Liccardo and Zoe Lofgren, former U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, and state Senator Josh Becker. Notably, she carried the endorsements of both Stone and local labor unions — groups that had frequently clashed during Stone’s tenure.

Zhao’s support came primarily from local officials, including endorsements from 10 of Santa Clara County’s 15 mayors. Kumar received no major institutional endorsements.

Campaign finance records showed Fligor spent approximately $300,000 during the general election and raised roughly $40,000 for the runoff. The South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council’s political committee spent $37,298 on her behalf in the general election and an additional $15,474 for the runoff.

Making History

When the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors certified the election results on January 26, 2026, Fligor became the first woman ever elected Santa Clara County Assessor and the first Black/African-American woman to hold an assessor position anywhere in California. In a county home to Silicon Valley and some of the highest property values in the nation, no woman had previously held this office.

Priorities and Vision for the Office

Technology Modernization

The assessor’s office had been trying to replace its COBOL-based property assessment system for 19 years without success. Fligor played a central role in finally moving the project forward, working with her team to acquire a modern technology solution and put a contract in place. The new system is expected to deliver faster service, improved data quality, better public access, and enhanced security.

During a September 2025 candidate forum, Fligor noted that “when I joined last year, they said, ‘Neysa, we really would like to get it off the ground.’ I was able to work with this team to acquire a new modern technology solution. We’ve already invested time, resources and money.”

Fair and Accurate Assessments Under Litigation Pressure

With $142 billion in assessed value currently under appeal — driven largely by declining commercial property values and well-funded corporate legal teams — Fligor’s legal background positions her to manage the office’s most resource-intensive challenge. Her previous work representing the assessor in contested appeals, combined with her experience as a corporate attorney at HP, gives her fluency on both sides of valuation disputes.

Community Engagement

Fligor has stated a goal of increasing outreach across Santa Clara County’s diverse communities. The assessor’s office serves approximately 500,000 property owners, many of whom have limited understanding of how assessments work or how to appeal them. Expanding public education and accessibility is a stated priority, though specific programs will develop over time.

Continuity and Stability

Fligor framed her candidacy around the need for experienced leadership during a period of budget uncertainty. Her argument was straightforward: the office had spent 19 years failing to modernize its core technology, faces an unprecedented volume of assessment appeals, and requires someone who already understands the operation — not someone learning on the job.

The 2026 General Election Ahead

The December 2025 special election only covered the remainder of Larry Stone’s unexpired term. Fligor must run again in the November 2026 general election to retain the position for a full four-year term. As of this writing, campaign filings and opponent announcements for the November race should be monitored through the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters and the California Secretary of State’s office.

Contact the Santa Clara County Assessor’s Office

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Neysa Fligor?

Neysa Fligor is the Santa Clara County Assessor, sworn into office on January 26, 2026, after winning a special election runoff. She is a Jamaican-born attorney, BOE-certified property tax appraiser, and former senior attorney at Hewlett-Packard. She previously served as assistant assessor and as a member of the Los Altos City Council.

What makes her election historic?

She is the first woman elected Santa Clara County Assessor and the first Black/African-American woman to hold a county assessor position anywhere in California.

What does the Santa Clara County Assessor do?

The assessor determines the assessed value of all taxable property in the county — more than 500,000 parcels valued at over $750 billion. The assessor does not set tax rates, collect taxes, or grant exemptions. Those are separate functions handled by the Tax Collector and Auditor-Controller.

What are her main priorities?

Modernizing the office’s COBOL-based technology system (in progress), managing a record $142 billion in assessment appeals, ensuring fair and accurate property valuations, and expanding community outreach to county residents.

Who did she defeat in the election?

She defeated Rishi Kumar, a former Saratoga City Council member and tech executive, in the December 30, 2025, runoff election by a margin of approximately 66,000 votes (65.2% to 34.4%).

Does she need to run again?

Yes. The special election covered only the remainder of the prior term. Fligor must run in the November 2026 general election to serve a full term.

How do I appeal my property assessment in Santa Clara County?

Property owners can file an assessment appeal with the Assessment Appeals Board between July 2 and November 30 of each year (for the annual assessment roll). Contact the Assessor’s Office at (408) 299-5500 or visit assessor.sccgov.org for forms and instructions.

How is the assessor different from the tax collector?

The assessor determines property values. The tax collector sends bills and collects payments based on those values. The auditor-controller applies tax rates and distributes revenue. These are three separate county offices with separate elected or appointed leaders.

Conclusion

Neysa Fligor’s election as Santa Clara County Assessor combined preparation with timing. Her path — Georgetown Law, county counsel work, a decade at Hewlett-Packard, return to the assessor’s office, and service on the Los Altos City Council — built a profile tailored to the specific demands of the role. The decisive two-to-one margin of her runoff victory reflected voter confidence in that experience.

The challenges ahead are significant: replacing aging technology that took 19 years to address, managing $142 billion in disputed property valuations, and maintaining accurate assessments across one of the most volatile real estate markets in the country. The November 2026 general election will determine whether voters give her a full term to see those efforts through.