Dan Patlak: Candidate Profile

Back to 1st District Board of Review

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:BioQA Bio City: WheelingWebsite: electpatlak.comTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: 1st District Board of Review Age: 54Family: Wife Dulce PatlakSon Teddy PatlakOccupation: Commissioner, Cook County Board of ReviewEducation: Bachelor of Science, Business Administration with concentration in FinanceCivic involvement: Parishoner, St Joseph the Worker Church4th Degree Knight of ColumbusElected offices held: Cook County Board of Review Commissioner 2010-PresentWheeling Township Assessor 2006-2010Board Member, East Maine School District 63-1995-1996Questions Answers What special knowledge or experience do you have that particularly qualifies you to be on the Board of Review? If you are an incumbent, describe your main contributions. Tell us of any important initiatives you've led. If you are a challenger, what would you bring to the board and what would your priority be?- Served as a Commissioner at the Board since 2010- Wheeling Township Assessor from 2006-2010- Analyst at the Board specializing in residential, commercial apartment and exempt properties 1999-2006.- Represented the Board at over 500 Property Tax Appeal Board Hearings- Certified Illinois Assessing Officer- Graduate of the Real Estate Institute- Real Estate Broker since 1986- Member Citizens Against Government Waste- Member International Association of Assessing Officers- Member of National and Illinois Association of RealtorsHow should the Board of Review effectively balance the financial needs of the county with the requests from taxpayers to lower assessments?Assessment reductions granted by the Board don't impact the amount of taxes collected by government bodies. The amount of taxes collected is set by individual taxing districts. However, an assessment reduction for one property does increase the relative share of taxes owed by other properties. The Board's duty is to fairly and objectively analyze appeals from property owners and grant reductions when sufficient evidence of over-assessment is presented. The Board has reduced borrowing costs for taxing bodies and subsequently costs to taxpayers by completing our work on time every year for the first time in 34 years beginning in 2012.How do you view the responsibilities of the board and the level of assessments as they apply to commercial and to residential taxpayers? What differences do you see between the two types of taxpayer and how should the board of review be set up to deal with them appropriately?All property owners have a right to expect that their appeal to the Board will be analyzed objectively based on the merits of the evidence available to the Board regardless of the type of property being appealed and regardless of whether they received a reduction in the previous year. Both residential and commercial analysts are trained and provided with the appropriate tools to conduct a fair adjudication of appeals.Describe your position on transparency and customer service at the board of review. How easy and convenient is it for average citizens to appeal their taxes? What, if anything, should be done to improve procedures?My staff and I have put a premium on customer service and transparency and made it easier to appeal since my election in 2010:- Issued the first BoR annual report in 2011 and every year since.- Created the first Freedom of Information page on the BoR web site.- Started on-line appeals in 2011 with 91% now appealing online.- Created the digital Appeals Processing System allowing appellants to upload their evidence and review their file online.- Reduced waiting time at residential hearings from fifteen to five minutes- Held over two-hundred Assessment Appeal Seminars to educate and empower taxpayers.Please list any elected office you've ever run for and what the result of that election was. Have you ever been appointed to fill an unexpired term?- In 1995 elected to the East Maine School District 63 Board- In 2005 elected to serve as Wheeling Township Assessor- Re-elected as Wheeling Township Assessor in 2009- In 2010 elected Commissioner of the Cook County Board of Review and reelected in 2012I have never been appointed to fill an unexpired term.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?My record of success and experience relative to my opponent is the most important issue. Since December 2010 we have re-engineered the Board from a late 20th century office to a state-of-the-art operation. The Digital Appeals Processing System (introduced in August 2015) has allowed our office to adjudicate a record number (475,000) of appeals with the same number of personnel while finishing on time to get tax bills issued by the statutorily required date. Without development of the DAPS, tax bills would surely have been late resulting in millions in additional costs to taxing districts and ultimately tax payers.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Eric MetaxasWhat is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Save your money, don't procrastinate and don't waste anything.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Would have become a part of the championship wrestling teams at Niles East High School.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?American History provided me with a historical perspective to use when evaluating current world issues.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Pray like it all depends on God. Work like it all depends on you.