The race for Iberia Parish Assessor hit its climax Tuesday evening at the Sliman Theater when the Greater Chamber of Commerce hosted a political forum with the three candidates who are vying for a new term in the position.

David Groner, Raymond “Shoe-Do” Lewis and Ashlie Spiker took the stage of the Sliman with a crowd of political leaders and interested residents ready to hear each candidate’s vision for what the assessor’s office should look like in the future.

Although this will be the first full-term for any of the candidates, Spiker has already been serving as Iberia Parish assessor following the resignation of former Assessor Taylor Barras, who left the job after being tapped for Gov. Jeff Landry’s administration.

A former chief deputy of the assessor’s office, Spiker has served in the position ever since and was in charge during this year’s reassessment of property values that affect millage rates throughout the parish.

“I’m the only candidate that is a certified assessor and lifelong resident of Iberia Parish,” Spiker said. “I truly love what I do, and I’m the only candidate that has the institutional knowledge and experience required to successfully lead the office.”

Although Lewis has never worked as an assessor, he has ran for office several times and touted the six times he has been victorious in New Iberia City Council and Iberia Parish School Board races, where he served on both boards for more than 20 years.

“I’m the only candidate up here that has lowered your millages, lowered your ad valorem taxes and lowered school bonds,” Lewis said.

Lewis also wasn’t shy in attacking Spiker’s leadership during the past several months of her leadership in the assessor’s office, and made several allegations of raising taxes, putting employees to work on the campaign trail and having underassessed personal property.

“I’m feeling a little Trumpy tonight” Lewis said after the moderator told him to stick to the questions.

Groner, a title attorney and lifelong resident of Iberia Parish, also had his share of complaints about the state of the assessor’s office and said he would like to bring back a “human touch” to the office. 

“The assessor’s office has lost the human touch,” Groner said. “They have used computer software programs that do not take into account the enormous cost of flood insurance we have here.”

Groner cited an example of a local businessman who he said received an overassessed property and had to go all the way to the Louisiana Insurance Commission to rectify the issue.

“I’m going to have an appraiser on staff so we can analyze it and conduct a due process hearing so you don’t have to go to Baton Rouge to get fairness.”

Spiker, who took most of the attention due to her incumbency, said one of the biggest things she’s learned on the campaign trail is the lack of communication about what an assessor’s office actually does, which is locate and determine value to properties subject to ad valorem taxation.

“I’m learning through this campaign how many people don’t know what the assessor does,” she said.