GOP candidates cite background in Board of Review race

Business knowledge or tax experience. These are the points distinguishing two Republican candidates seeking their party's nomination for Cook County Board of Review in the Feb. 2 primary.

Wheeling Township Assessor Dan Patlak and Palos Park business owner Sean Morrison are facing off for the chance to advance to the November election to face incumbent Democrat Brendan Houlihan.

The Cook County Board of Review is a three-person board that decides whether to lower property tax assessments.

During recent editorial board endorsement interviews, the Republican candidates both talked about how, if elected, they would utilize technology that would make it easier for taxpayers to make appeals.

Patlak said the technology is already there. Putting it in place would eliminate paperwork and make the process easier for the taxpayer, he said, adding that the number of appeals continues to increase. Last year, 284,000 people appealed their taxes, a 205 percent increase over the 93,000 appeals made 10 years ago, he said.

Patlak, 47, added that he will fight to keep the five satellite offices, located at the county courthouses, open so that taxpayers can speak to representatives of the Board of Review without having to go to Chicago.

Morrison, 42, believes his "businessman's mentality" is what's needed to get the job done. He has owned his own security guard firm in Alsip for the past 11 years. He believes his ability to with budgets is essential.

"I'm a top-quality, proven business executive," he said.

Patlak is running on the philosophy that his experience is what the office needs. Patlak is a real estate broker who worked as an analyst at the Board of Review from 1999 to 2006 under the commissioner Houlihan ousted, Maureen Murphy.

After training to become a certified assessing officer, the Wheeling resident was elected assessor of Wheeling Township in 2005 and re-elected in 2009.

Both candidates said they are running because they believe the Democrats have too much control in Cook County.

"Someone needs to win the Republican side," Morrison said.

However, Patlak has publicly questioned his opponent's true party affiliation, claiming that Morrison was registered to vote in Chicago's 19th Ward until late 2008. He added that his opponent has donated to the Democrat Party. Patlak questions why Morrison has not pulled Republican ballots in the past.

Morrison said he is aware of the party affiliation allegations. He admitted that when he lived in Chicago, he pulled Democrat ballots as there was no one else to vote for in his ward. He added that he donated a "few hundred" dollars to the Democratic Party. He moved from the city a year and a half ago.

Still, Morrison points out that he has been a member of the National Republican Congressional Committee since 2005, has made financial donations to the Republican party and served on the Republican Presidential Task Force in 2006.

He calls the accusations "ridiculous and a little bit insulting."