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Q&A: Cook County assessor -- Robert C. Grota

Candidate: Robert C. Grota, Green Party, of Chicago

Occupation: Assessor

Civic Involvement: Children's special education supervisor

Elected offices held: Elected and Appointed Assessor in many counties in SE WI 1992-2006

What is your No. 1 campaign issue? To create an open and fair appeal process, so that taxpayers can present valid evidence as to the factors that contribute to or detract from value. A one-on-one approach to explain the process and gather important data needed in the valuation process. I believe the public should have a chance to sit down with an assessor and have evidence shown to him that the property is valued correctly. Not that the whole city is valued “approximately correct but that his property is valued correct. Understandable proof, such as comparisons to similar properties which have sold recently in the area, to tax payers included with their ‘Notice of Proposed Assessment'. This would also be available on the Internet.

What is your No. 2 campaign issue? To create assessments based on real property data. The data currently used by the Assessors Office is old, “just plain wrong and does not provide an accurate description of the property to be valued. This needs to be updated in a cost efficient manner and I have the experience to accomplish this with no increases in the assessors budget.

What is your No. campaign issue? The Board of Review needs oversight and legal changes to make it fair for the average taxpayer. I will lobby for legal changes and oversight of the Board of Review. These changes are necessary to make the Board of Review process fair and legal. No more “special consideration" given to special interests that make “campaign contributions." Just fair Assessed Values based upon real appraisal practices. If the Board of Review cannot justify their actions based upon real appraisal practices, then it will just continue to ruin the uniformity established by the assessor, make for higher tax rates and unfair assessed values.