ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Working hard is in my blood, and I’ve tried my hardest to bring that work ethic to the Assessor’s office, to benefit the working families of Bernalillo County. Our motto is: “When everyone pays their fair share, the tax burden is shared, not shifted.”

Since being elected as Bernalillo County Assessor in 2022, my office has made great progress for working families: 

  • Reduced residential property taxes for most families in Bernalillo County

  • Paved the way for hundreds of affordable housing units by increasing assessments on “zombie” office buildings that were being held vacant by corporate owners

  • Increased neighborhood safety by increasing valuations on abandoned building, boarded-up houses, and problem lots

  • Championed legislation in Santa Fe to provide a $6,000 property tax exemption for the 26,000 veterans in our County

  • Converted most of the Assessor’s fleet to electric vehicles and moved the office to paperless systems

Damian Lara: In Service to New Mexico

  • Assessor, Bernalillo County (elected in 2022)

  • Former Deputy Assessor, Bernalillo County Assessor’s Office

  • Former Acting Director, Economic Development, City of Albuquerque

  • Member, National Association of Counties

  • Member, International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO)

  • Member, National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO)

  • Former Lead Staff Attorney, Revenue Stabilization & Tax Policy Committee, US House of Representatives

  • Former Legislative Assistant, Congressional Hispanic Caucus

  • Member, State Bar of New Mexico

  • Board Member, New Mexico Hispanic Bar Association

  • Ad Hoc Board Member, Indian Bar Association

  • B.A., Political Science, Brown University

  • J.D., University of New Mexico School of Law