Santa Clara County’s longest serving elected official, Larry Stone, announced today that he is stepping down 18 months before his term expires on January 4, 2027. He has served in that position for more than 30 years, and previously was the mayor of Sunnyvale.
Stone, 84, will be replaced by an interim official, Assistant Assessor Greg Monteverde, while the county makes plans to elect his successor. Monteverde has been with the Assessor's Office for 35 years.
Stone faced a challenger in the 2026 election, Saratoga Mayor Yan Zhao. who is completing a seven-year stint on the Saratoga City Council and two terms as the city’s appointed mayor. Her campaign kickoff took place in Palo Alto in early December, backed by key endorsements from state Sen. Dave Cortese and county Supervisor Otto Lee
Stone was elected to his most recent term in the June 7, 2022 primary with more than 67% of the vote.
In a press release from his office Monday morning, Stone said he will not seek re-election in 2026, when his term ends, and will officially step down on July 6.
First elected to Sunnyvale City Council in 1975, Stone is the longest serving elected official in SantaClara County. Elected assessor in 1994, Stone also has the longest tenure as Santa Clara County Assessor since Lewis Spitzer left office in 1912.
In his announcement, Stone referred to his “unwavering commitment” to “integrity, professionalism, and ... fair and equitable property assessments.” The number of properties on the county's tax assessment rolls has increased 500% in the last three decades, he said.
“It has been the honor of my lifetime to serve the people of Santa Clara County,” said Stone. “When I first took office, I could not have imagined the journey ahead. My private sector real estate and business experience prepared me for success in the efficient and effective management of the Assessor’s Office.”
He said that he has been fortunate to have had staff who are skilled, knowledgeable and hard-working, “consistently going above and beyond to achieve the goals of the office.”
In a statement, Stone said "excellence in customer service is a cornerstone" of his professional values.
“My office has been working diligently to find a vendor with a California-compliant assessment management system to replace our four-decades-old system,” Stone reported. “I am happy to announce that after a long request-for-proposals process, the Board of Supervisors approved the new system contract on June 17... With the new system ready to implement and the successful completion of my 30th assessment roll close, the timing feels right to step down.”
In his resignation announcement Stone thanked his staff, colleagues in local government and the residents of Santa Clara County. “I am incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished, modernizing our systems, supporting property owners, and upholding fairness in every assessment,” he said. “This office has always been about service—service to the property owner and commitment to the rule of law.”
