Scott Noble

Scott Noble is currently King County Assessor, an office he has held since 1992. He is a member of the United States Democratic Party.

Personal life

Noble graduated from the University of Washington with a B.A. in Business Administration. A retired U.S. Navy officer, he served in the Vietnam War, following which he worked as a private real estate appraiser.

Political career

Noble was first elected Assessor in 1992 to finish the term of Bruce Holland, who died shortly after taking office. He defeated Norwood Brooks, who had been appointed by the King County Council to act as Assessor pending the election. Noble subsequently won reelection to successive 4-year terms in 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2007.

Controversies

Alleged nepotism

Republicans criticized Noble in 2003 over the hiring of the daughter of his principal deputy as a commercial appraiser. Noble responded by noting that the King County Ethics Board had approved the appointment.

Alcoholism

According to former King County Assessor Harley Hoppe, Noble has been an alcoholic for more than 15 years. According to named and unnamed sources cited by the Seattle Times, Noble regularly was gone from work for several days at a time in absences implied to be related to his drinking habits.

Auto accident

On January 18, 2009, Noble was involved in a serious car accident in Auburn, Washington. Noble's vehicle allegedly struck a Jeep Liberty while driving south in the northbound lanes of State Route 18. The accident left both occupants of the Jeep Liberty injured.

Despite the fact that Noble was hospitalized for several weeks following the incident, information AbOUT the Assessor's injuries - or that he had even been involved in an accident - was not made public until a February 24, 2009 press release was issued by the Washington State Patrol.

As of February 2009, the State of Washington Attorney-General's office was investigating Noble on charges of drunken driving and vehicular assault. King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg had earlier referred the case to the state due to a conflict of interest.