In a rare contested battle for the office of Los Angeles County assessor, two real-estate veterans are vying to oversee how property is valued. John Noguez, who started out as a student worker in the Assessor's Office 25 years ago, and John Wong, a Monterey Park businessman who has served for 15 years on the Assessment Appeals Board, are seeking the post. The position pays $190,901 a year. Noguez, also a Huntington Park councilman, said he had been planning to run for the state Assembly when then-Assessor Rick Auerbach retired and his successor, interim-Assessor Robert Quon, declined to run. 'This was something I really understand,' Noguez said. 'Plus there were some family issues where I wanted to stay closer to home.' Wong, who ran for assessor in 2002, said he decided to try again because of his distrust of Noguez. 'I just don't think he will bring the transparency to the office that is needed,' said Wong, who has filed complaints against Noguez on issues ranging from his contact with officials from the city of Bell to how Huntington Park is managed. Noguez has denied all the allegations. Wong serves as president of the Assessment Appeals Board, saying it gave him insight into how the department is managed. One of his first priorities would be to develop a more understandable computer system for the public. Noguez said he hopes to change some of the office operation to make it more friendly to taxpayers. 'Most of the time, people come to us only when there's a problem,' Noguez said. 'I want us to do more outreach so people know what services we have available.' Noguez has received the most endorsements, including four of the five members of the Board of Supervisors. He also has raised the most cash, with recent reports showing him at $640,000. Wong has raised more than $37,000, reports show. 