Chris LeVan: Candidate Profile

Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: WinfieldWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Milton Township Assessor (4-year Term)Age: 56Family: Married to Jan for 29 years - One child, Alexandria (23 years old)Occupation: Self-employed securities traderEducation: Accredited by the State of Illinois as Certified Illinois Assessing OfficerCivic involvement: Chairman of the Winfield Fire Protection District, Fire Commission Chairman Milton Township Ethics Committee Member Knights of Columbus Member Disabled American Veterans Commander's Club Milton Township Republican Central Committee Treasurer Milton Township Republican Committeeman, Precinct #061 Former 2-term Winfield Village Trustee (1999 - 2007)Elected offices held: Winfield Village Trustee (1999 - 2007)Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 To ensure all assessments in Milton Township are fair and equitable.Key Issue 2 To continuously work as an advocate for the taxpayers.Key Issue 3 To treat property owners professionally, and provide timely and courteous responses from my office.Questions Answers Name the three most important goals or objectives this board should tackle in the coming term. Prioritize them, and briefly discuss why you believe each to be critical, and how the board should go about addressing them.While the Assessor is not a member of the Milton Township board, I will nonetheless look forward to working diligently with the new board to limit expenses and maximize the efficiencies of the Assessor's office.In the 21st Century, with municipalities gobbling up vacant land, why are townships needed? Should they be serving a new role? If so, what?Milton Township has experienced some limited expansion by municipalities within the townships boundaries. However, there are still many residents who depend daily on the Township as their primary government service provider. From the 85 miles of roads the Highway Commissioner maintains to the Youth Committee, Senior (S.A.L.T) Council, Food Pantry, Mosquito Abatement, and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Milton Township performs a vital role in delivering needed services to the residents, at a substantially lower cost than other units of government can effectively deliver.What should be the primary responsibility of township government?From an assessment perspective, Township officials should be easily accessible, respectful of taxpayers, informative relative to tax and assessment laws, and should acknowledge property owners' reasonable concerns.In these hard economic times, can you identify some township expenses/programs that could be trimmed or eliminated to reduce the tax burden?There are always areas of any government that can be trimmed or eliminated, and I am committed to doing so within the Assessor's Office. My first obligation is to ensure that property owners are being accurately and fairly assessed on the value of their homes and businesses. Local government is funded primarily through property taxes based on real estate values. If the taxpayers have lost value in their properties, it is only fair that their assessment levels drop. Government should make the necessary reductions to their budgets from any resulting decreases in revenues.What specific background or experience do you bring that makes you the best qualified candidate to serve as an elected official in the township?I am accredited by the State of Illinois as an Illinois Certified Assessing Officer. I have owned several successful businesses which demanded strict budgeting and financial guidance. I intend to bring the financial skills, management skills, and expertise that I have acquired in over 30 years of private sector experience to township government.