Following Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone's resignation, a special election to replace him will cost at least $1
With Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone retiring next month, voters will see their first open race in decades for the job of determining the taxable value of property and business assets. But a special election will come at a hefty cost — at least $13.1 million or potentially twice as much.
Stone, 84, was first elected in 1994 and announced on Monday that he will be stepping down on July 6, leaving more than a year left in his term.
Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors this week set Nov. 4 as Election Day with a potential runoff scheduled for Dec. 30 if a candidate doesn’t receive a majority of the votes. With a single special election costing $13.1 million, runoff would bring the cost to roughly $26.2 million — a likely possibility if a crowded field emerges.
“This is a very unfortunate situation and it’s hard to stomach the cost of this, but we really have no legal options otherwise,” Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga said.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/06/26/following-santa-clara-county-assessor-larry-stones-resignation-a-special-election-to-replace-him-will-cost-at-least-13-1-million/