When voters approved Dade County's home-rule charter more than 40 years ago, they made the property appraiser and supervisor of elections appointed positions in the interests of nonpartisanship and professionalism. And so it was until high property taxes during the recent real-estate boom prompted a call to make the appraiser elected again. On Jan. 29, voters resoundingly approved the plan.

Of the four candidates running for the job, two stand out: Pedro J. Garcia, 71, a Realtor and real-estate appraiser, and Gwen Margolis, 74, a veteran state lawmaker, former county commissioner and longtime Realtor. Mr. Garcia has a levelheadedness about him that instills confidence. In addition to running his family-owned real-estate firm, Mr. Garcia has served as a special magistrate of the county's Value Adjustment Board. His experience in property appraisal is steep. Ms. Margolis' years of service, however, plus her lengthy real-estate career and six years chairing the Value Adjustment Board, tip the scales in her favor.

After six years in the state House, Ms. Margolis served in the Florida Senate from 1980 to 1992, her last two as Senate president. In 1994 she was elected to the county commission, serving as chair from 1996-02. She then was elected to the state Senate again. In her legislative career, Ms. Margolis chaired the Senate Finance and Tax Committee and the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission. She has authored or cosponsored several fair-taxation measures, including this year's Amendment 3. It would prevent appraisers from raising property taxes because homes are improved for hurricane protection or energy efficiency.

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