Our last update was in April, so I thought it wise to provide you another report on our progress and activities at the Board of Review since that time.
On August 1st the Board of Review concluded its 2010 tax year appeals, finishing two months earlier than last year. We did this despite adjudicating the second highest volume of property index numbers (387,000) in Board history. In addition, the Board had two new staffs of analysts, my own and Commissioner Cabonargi’s who were hired after his appointment in February.
I continue to fulfill my campaign pledge to be a full time commissioner, working every day side by side with my personal staff as well as the other staffs at the Board. In line with our plans for instituting a continuing education program at the Board, forty-two analysts attended a two and a half day class on residential assessments August second through fourth conducted by the Illinois Department of Revenue. Several analysts on my staff plan to take additional classes to receive their Certified Illinois Assessing Officer designation.
In order to promote transparency and educate the public as promised during my campaign we are working with the two other commissioner’s to produce the BoR’s first ever joint annual report (due out in September). We are also participating in the County’s STAR (Set Targets Achieve Results) program by providing information about our operations that will be displayed on the central county web site along with information from other county elected offices. An attorney on my staff was appointed as the BoR Freedom of Information officer and he has added the first FOIA page to the Board’s web site. Lastly, from swearing-in day December 6 through April, my staff and I conducted thirty-six information packed public seminars on the Cook County property tax system, exemptions and the assessment appeal process. Those seminars were designed to empower property owners with information so they could make more informed decisions regarding the accuracy of their property assessments.
We are currently developing an on-line complaint filing system which we plan to unveil in September. This system will allow property owners to file their over assessment complaints from the comfort of their own homes and businesses. This is the first step in our long term plan to completely digitalize operations at the Board.
As a full time commissioner, I continue to be grateful for the trust you have placed in me and commit to doing my best for you everyday.
In your service,
Dan Patlak, Commissioner
Cook County Board of Review, 1st district
http://www.electpatlak.com
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