Posted on 07/16/2010 5:52:48 AM PDT by Daniel T. Zanoza
EDITOR'S NOTE: Dan Patlak was an analyst at the Board of Review for eight years. Patlak has been a taxpayer advocate in Wheeling Township where he is in his second term as Wheeling Township Assessor. Patlak is a Certified Illinois Assessing Officer and has been a licensed real estate broker since 1986. Patlak is a member of the National Taxpayers Union and is endorsed by the National Taxpayers United of Illinois PAC.
DAN PATLAK -- IN HIS OWN WORDS
My campaign for Commissioner of the Cook County Board of Review has adopted a radical new idea…educating taxpayers so they can better understand and control their property taxes. Traveling throughout the county, I hear the same frustration, confusion and anger from taxpayers about their property taxes. There is a widespread lack of understanding of how tax bills are computed and where the money goes. There is also a great deal of uncertainty about what the next bill will bring.
My campaign is built on the premise that taxpayers have a need and a right to understand their tax system. Through our web site “Education Center” at www.ElectPatlak.com we are taking a first step in demystifying the system for concerned citizens. With information comes confidence and power and it is important that “the people” and not the government possess the power in our democratic society. Our Education Center provides information to property owners so they will have the ability to determine whether they are paying an appropriate share of the overall tax burden. It also encourages them to think about where their tax dollars are going and how they are being spent.
In addition, our campaign will soon be rolling out a series of short educational videos produced to answer the most commonly asked questions about the property tax system.
Whether or not I am elected as a Commissioner of the Board of Review, I will continue with this radical idea by constantly looking for ways to educate the electorate about how their government works and I will continue to be an advocate for the taxpayers of Cook County.
Learn more about Patlak's campaign by visiting www.Facebook.com/danpatlak and www.ElectPatlak.com.
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