[CCCNFBW] The Columbian: Clark County Assessor: Peter Van Nortwick vs. Tyler Thoune

[Merribeth Greenberg]

The Columbian has been posting articles about the upcoming raises in 3
weeks, on November 3rd.

Clark County Assessor: Peter Van Nortwick vs. Tyler Thoune
Incumbent, challenger differ on how to conduct property assessments
Photo of Shari Phiel
By Shari Phiel, Columbian Staff Reporter
Published: October 12, 2026, 11:00am
Updated: October 13, 2026, 7:58am
Clark County Assessor: Peter Van Nortwick vs. Tyler Thoune - The Columbian
<https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/oct/12/clark-county-assessor-peter-van-nortwick-vs-tyler-thoune/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=Morning+Briefing>

Alt text picture description: Longtime Clark County assessor Peter Van
Nortwick, left, is facing challenger Tyler Thoune. (Contributed photos)

Incumbent Clark County Assessor Peter Van Nortwick is seeking his sixth
term in office. He faces Tyler Thoune on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Neither candidate has a campaign website and neither has stumped for
campaign donors.

According to the Public Disclosure Commission, Thoune has raised about
$1,620, all of it from his own pocket. Van Nortwick has not reported any
campaign contributions, although he has recorded about $2,400 in expenses.

A 1999 graduate of Fort Vancouver High School, Thoune, 45, has worked in
real estate for 20 years, buying, remodeling and flipping homes. In a
statement provided for the local Voters’ Pamphlet, Thoune said he
understands homes, neighborhoods and market conditions from direct,
hands-on experience — not just computer models and formulas.

Van Nortwick, 59, said adapting to changes to the state’s new senior
citizen and disabled persons property tax exemption program is likely the
biggest challenge the department is facing.

Clark County Assessor Candidates
— 2026 General Election —
Tyler Thoune
Age: 45 years old
Residence: Pleasant Highlands
Education: Graduated Fort Vancouver high School in 1999; Emergency Medical
Technician certification in 2018
Occupation: Real estate investor, developer
Major endorsements: Not available

Peter Van Nortwick
Age: 59 years old
Residence: North Salmon Creek
Education: Bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington; graduate
studies at the University of Colorado and Seattle University
Occupation: Clark County assessor
Major endorsements: Not available

The assessor’s office administers the program. The Legislature last session
passed Senate Bill 6162, which increased the maximum qualifying income
threshold.

“It’s going from $62,000 this year up to $85,000 next year,” Van Nortwick
said.

The legislation added standard deductions of $7,500 for individuals and
$15,000 for couples, which means a couple with a combined income of
$100,000 will qualify, Van Nortwick said.

He said his office is also looking at ways to use artificial intelligence
to make the office more efficient.

“The county (council) is not going to give us more employees, but the
county keeps growing and growing and growing,” he said, adding that finding
AI tools to help the department run better and faster will be essential.

Rather than completing individual property assessments every year, the
assessor’s office relies on mass appraisals. Van Nortwick said one of the
biggest misconceptions or misunderstandings people have about the
assessor’s office is what a mass appraisal is and how it’s done.

“We’re valuing the characteristics of properties more so than the
individual property itself. We take all the sales and analyze them and then
build a model to make sure we put the value out,” he said.

In his Voters’ Pamphlet statement, Thoune said property owners deserve
assessments that reflect the real market, not a system that misses the mark.

The valuation model is required by state law, Van Nortwick said. Plus, the
county doesn’t have enough staff to do individual valuations for every
property in the county each year. Thoune did not respond to The Columbian’s
requests for an interview.

A proposed charter amendment on the November ballot could see the
assessor’s office change to an appointed position. Van Nortwick said the
office should remain an elected position.

“There are some states where the assessor is an appointed position. Why the
assessor has to be an elected position in the state of Washington is
because we have oversight over the highest lawful levy … which is the
highest dollar amount that property tax district can collect in property
taxes,” he said.

Letting voters decide who will serve as assessor protects that position
from pressure by the county council, county manager or someone else seeking
to exceed their tax authority.

“It is vitally important for the protection of the taxpayers,” Van Nortwick
said.
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