From the campaign of Sean M. Morrison for Cook County Board of Review…
Cook County, IL—Fed up with excessive property taxes? Palos Park businessman Sean Morrison is, and today he announced that he intends to seek the Republican nomination for Commissioner of the Cook County Board of Review, 1st District. The 1st District encompasses nearly five-hundred square miles of Cook County and includes over 1.7 million residents.
Morrison ran for Commissioner in 2010. Despite entering the race late, Morrison nearly defeated current Commissioner Dan Patlak. Morrison has decided to seek the office again as Patlak has failed to live up to any of the promises he made during his campaign. Morrison stated “Patlak’s time in office has been much more Democratic than Republican—he is constantly yielding to the Democratic agenda and forgetting about taxpayer concerns.”
Rather than challenging the culture of corruption as Patlak proclaimed he would, he has openly embraced it by spending much of his time actively soliciting campaign contributions rather than advocating in the interest of taxpayers. Patlak has racked up over $100,000 in campaign donations largely from property tax attorneys whose cases he decides. Just last week, Patlak actively solicited an individual $5,000 contribution from property tax attorneys.
Morrison states that under his leadership, the Board of Review will not be for sale. Instead, Morrison plans to model his time in office after the late Maureen Murphy, who dedicated much of her life to fighting for lower taxes.
Morrison will implement an entirely new program at the Board of Review that will ensure fair and uniform property taxes. Morrison’s program is aimed at making property tax appeals more transparent and easier to maneuver. The program includes the use of modern technology that mirrors unemployment hearings before the Illinois Department of Employment Security, which have been primarily conducted via telephone for eighteen years. Morrison is focused on the eventual use of modern video technology, such as Skype. These methods will be used to prevent homeowners from missing a day of work and being forced to commute to downtown Chicago.
Ultimately, Morrison is focused on lowering property taxes and running a more efficient office. “It’s time for Cook County homeowners to put their foot down on the property tax increases,” Morrison states. While Morrison recognizes that Commissioners do not have the authority to decrease the tax rates themselves, he argues that Commissioners do have the ability to lobby the Illinois General Assembly for change, something that Patlak is yet to do.
The Republican primary will be held on March 20, 2012.