A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has ruled that county assessor candidate Jeffrey Prang cannot use the title “deputy assessor” on the June 3 Primary Election ballot. Instead, he will be listed as a “special assistant, assessor.”

Prang’s title was challenged by fellow candidate Omar Haroon, who said Prang was looking to mislead voters by using “deputy assessor.”

“I think that regardless of whatever spin Mr. Prang puts on the decision, the question before the judge was whether his ballot designation misleads the public, and the judge agreed with us that the designation does mislead the public,” Haroon said. “What surprises me is that Mr. Prang has been a [West Hollywood] city councilman for many years, and I don’t know why he wouldn’t just use that as his ballot designation.”

Prang’s title was originally approved by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder’s Office, a decision that was confirmed after being challenged. In his tentative ruling, Judge James Chalfant agreed with the office, but then reversed that decision.

Haroon speculated that Prang was using the “deputy assessor” title to distance himself from county assessor John Noguez, who was arrested in October 2012 for allegedly taking bribes. He said Prang continues to be Noguez’s special assistant.

Prang said he was hired in March 2012 as a special assistant for public affairs to help restore stability and integrity in the office. He said he was hired prior to the scandal becoming a criminal investigation; otherwise, he would not have taken the position.

“Mr. Haroon, with all due respect, is an entry-level appraiser with less than two years on the job. [He is] hardly in a position to know much about the administrative office,” Prang said.

Prang said he helped orchestrate the departure of Noguez — along with the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors — when the issue became criminal. He said he has been retained by both interim assessors who have been appointed to run the office. Prang said a number of people in the office who had ties to Noguez were dismissed.

“Instead, I was retained as a member of the management team, as part of the reform administration,” Prang added. “Mr. Haroon is a candidate whose campaign doesn’t seem to be sparking much interest, so he’s resorting to political grandstanding and making assertions about things he certainly doesn’t know about.”

The West Hollywood councilman said he disagreed with the court ruling, though he is “not unhappy” with the outcome. He said “deputy assessor” accurately reflected his duties, as employees who work in elected offices are commonly referred to as deputies.

“I am a deputy assessor and function as so,” Prang said, adding that the judge made it clear that he agreed Prang serves as a deputy. “He changed his mind based on what I think is a technicality that noted a difference.”

He said the lawsuit was “frivolous” and cost citizens $40,000 because it delayed the printing of ballots. Prang added that he was not trying to mislead voters with his ballot designation.

He said he has been a key component of the reform efforts within the assessor’s office, and that he is the only candidate who has high-level administrative experience and skills. Prang mentioned endorsements by Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, 3rd District, and City Attorney Mike Feuer, among others.

“It is my hope that I can bring the same high-level of professionalism and innovation to this office that my colleagues and I on the city council have brought to West Hollywood for the last number of years,” he said.

Haroon said he has received a positive reception from assessor’s office employees and other candidates after the court decision. He said employees are afraid to speak up about issues for fear that they could be punished after a new assessor is elected.

Haroon said the county assessor post is a “really important position,” as the office has an assessment roll that amounts to approximately $1.1 trillion.

“Anyone who runs the office needs to have a relationship with the staff and have a staff that believes in him,” he said, adding that Prang does not have the support of rank-and-file employees.

Haroon said the office needs someone with technical skills who can lead the office — not an unqualified politician. He said he has a background in finance and management, and that he knows the importance of accountability after working in the private sector.

“I can bring that to the office as well,” Haroon said, adding that he believes he is the best person for the job. “I know my colleagues at the office agree with me.”