RIO GRANDE COUNTY — In an announcement made last week, current Rio Grande Assessor JJ Mondragon confirmed her bid to run for re-election. If re-elected, Mondragon will be entering her fourth term as Rio Grande County Assessor and plans to continue her education and streamline current systems at the Assessor's Office to make her job and the people she works with easier.

“I am pleased to announce my candidacy for the upcoming election," Mondragon said. "I am proud to be a Valley native and to have raised my family in this beautiful part of Colorado. I am a mother of three, and soon to be a first-time grandmother. I graduated from Center High School, before studying at the University of Southern Colorado and Pueblo Community College.”

In addition to being in the Assessor's Office for three terms, Mondragon has been with the office since 1998 when she started as a clerk.

“I started work in the Assessor’s Office in 1998 as a clerk," she said. "I worked my way up and in 2003, was appointed Deputy Assessor before being elected Assessor in 2014. Throughout my career in the Assessor's Office, I have taken numerous classes and many hours of continuous education, including administrative procedures, appraisal processes, and supervision. It is essential to maintain high levels of education standards in assessment throughout the office to ensure the staff can all perform to the best of our abilities.”

With her knowledge, Mondragon continues to put effort into the new system that was installed a few years ago.

“We went through a software conversion in my last re-election cycle and are still learning to utilize our system efficiently," she said. "I have continued plans for improvements in the office that will continue to provide great service to our citizens. We plan to continue to improve the GIS system and are hoping for the flyover, a real imagery and software that a few other San Luis Valley counties have recently purchased.”

Mondragon also prides herself in how the office runs and is currently training two employees to get their assessor licenses.

“I have a wonderful staff that are very knowledgeable, friendly, and reliable," she said. "I am proud to serve the community of Rio Grande County and have enjoyed the challenges in being an Assessor. I feel that I am the best candidate for this job because I have a wealth of experience working in all aspects of the office. There is always something new to learn in this position, and in life. I enjoy helping people and have dedicated my life to public service.”

When speaking with Mondragon it is easy to see how much she prides herself in her position and the dedication she continues to show through her position at the county.

“I continue to perform many duties that I had as the Deputy, including managing personal property, state assessed property, possessory interest, mineral interests, abstract of values, certifications and overseeing the transfers, along with all the new supervisory and administrative duties that come with being the Assessor,” Mondragon said.