Carmel Magazine

42 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 4 LOCALKNOWLEDGE Steve Vagnini Monterey County Assessor, Rock and Roll Promoter and 'Guitars Not Guns' Co-Founder T his gentleman maintains two distinct profiles on the business-ori- ented social media site LinkedIn.com. In one, he's listed as Stephen Vagnini, "Assessor County Clerk Recorder at Monterey County" and the photo avatar he's chosen for this page is one of an earnest, engaged public servant spor ting a neatly knotted tie and dress shir t. In the other profile, he uses the more casual Steve Vagnini, "Owner at SLV Management." This guy is wearing dark shades and a black hood- ie. He's flashing a big grin and the peace sign. Split personality? Well, no, just a man who is passionate about more than one vocation. Stephen Vagnini has been employed at the Monterey County Assessor's Office for 28 years. He worked his way up the ranks before throwing his hat in the ring for the elected office of Assessor/County Clerk/Recorder. Last year he ran unopposed and was elected to his four th four-year term. When that concludes, Vagnini plans to retire—at least from that aspect of his life. Steve Vagnini will without a doubt continue to keep his hand in what he is perhaps most passionate about: the music business. He's been involved in music since his teenage years, first as a performer and now as a promoter. If there's a locally promoted music festival taking place on the Monterey Peninsula, chances are good that he's had some par t in putting together the lineup, either as a promoter, booking agent or band manager. He's always right up front, head bopping to the rhythm. And that's because he's not only involved in the business, he's a huge music fan himself. Q: There seems to be some public confusion about what the Assessor actually does. Can you explain? A: Well, first and foremost: I'm not the tax collector. I'm not the guy who sends you your proper ty tax bill; I'm the guy who makes sure it's fair and equitable. We're responsible for identifying a proper ty, making sure who the rightful owner is, and assessing its value. Under California law, a proper ty is reassessed only when it is sold or there is new construction. But when the economy took a turn in 2008, many proper ties were re- valued, and that took $6 billion in values off the tax rolls—that translat- ed to $500 million annually in county income, money that would have gone to schools, fire districts, police and other public services. Today, the total of Monterey County proper ty values is $50 billion. We're kind of under the radar ; if we don't get attention that means we're doing our job correctly. Q: What got you involved in the music business? A: My grandfather was a music promoter in Liège, Belgium. He built an opera house there and managed cellist Pablo Casals. Maybe that's where I got the genes to do this kind of work. I went to high school in Athens, Greece, and sang in a rock-and-roll band there. That's when I was hooked. In fact, we've all stayed in touch and are planning a reunion in Nashville next year. After owning a bookstore on Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey, I was the business manager at the Old Monterey Music Hall [formerly located on the site of MY Museum]. Around this time, I decided to try my hand at singing again and formed a band. We were called "The Cousins" because a music writer said that "This band is boring…it's like kissing your cousin." From there I star ted booking bands for The Club on Alvarado Street. I thought it best to stick to management, and around this time I met bassist Gary Souza who asked me to manage John "Broadway" Tucker. Then I met another bass player and he asked me to manage the band he was in at the time, Red Beans & Rice. I still manage both, though John has cur tailed his performance schedule somewhat. One festival I play a big par t in is the West End Celebration in Sand City. After booking the music for 11 years, in 2010 I stepped into the role of overall event coordinator and have helped turn the West End Celebration into one of the most popular festivals in Monterey County. I'm proud of that. Q: You're active in social causes? A: Yes. Always have been. I co-founded and am president of the Monterey County Chapter of Guitars Not Guns, a nonprofit that provides free gui- tar lessons and guitars to youth throughout Monterey County. That's my focus right now. We're one of the most active chapters because there's a tremendous need in Monterey County for music in the schools. I've been asked to head up the California chapter, and I'm considering it. — Michael Chatfield

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