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Support Senator Miguel del Valle's Property Tax Reform Legislation. In 2000 80% of the Senate passed legislation that would allow taxpayers to represent themselves or retain any person other than an attorney to represent them in property tax appeals before boards of review. It was tabled in the House Committee lobbied to death by powerful tax lawyers. The same tax reform legislation, SB 262 (del Valle) was again presented before the Senate Revenue Committee on Wednesday March 7, 2001. IT WAS DEFEATED! Here's why: The 10 Senate Revenue Committee members reported that they were overwhelmingly lobby by Chicago tax lawyers, and lobbyist Al Ronan, whose firm was hired by the Cook County Board of Review. Calls were made from elected Commissioner Maureen Murphy who insisted that taxpayers must continue to retain attorneys to represent them in all tax appeal matters before the Cook County Board of Review?Murphy is not an attorney?nor are the other 2 elected Commissioners Robert Shaw and Joseph Berrios?all running in 2002. PROPONENTS of the tax appeal reform bill included several housing organizations, Bethel New Life, Circle Urban Ministries, Hispanic Housing Development Corp., PRIDE, Chicago Metropolitan Housing Assoc., & the Chicago Rehab Network. Industry support came from the International Association of Assessing Officers, Institute of Property Taxation, & National Association of Property Taxation, & several Cook County Township Assessors from Worth, Wheeling, New Trier, and Schaumburg Twps, the South Chicago Chamber of Commerce, Chicago Small Property Owners Association, Chicagoland Apartment Association, and Community Investment Corporation. Many support letters were written by members of the Illinois Paralegal Association, independent tax consultants, appraisers and property taxpayers. The votes were called as follows: PRO-TAXPAYER votes to support and open nonpolitical tax appeal process were from Senators CHRIS LAUZEN, DENNY JACOBS, BARACK OBAMA, and DONNE E. TROTTER (Lake & Hyde Park Twps). ANTI-TAXPAYER votes to maintain the monopoly that clout-heavy tax lawyers enjoy at the Cook County Board of Review were cast by JAMES CLAYBOURNE (lawyer), WILLIAM PETERSON (switched yes vote to no from Barrington Twp), CHRISTINE RADOGNO (switched yes to no from Lyons, & Proviso Twps). Three Senators bravely walked off the floor and refused to vote on the property tax reform bill?WENDELL JONES (Palatine Township told CFAT he would support the measure), J. BRADLEY BURZYNSKI & PETER J. ROSKAM a Glen Ellyn lawyer). WE ARE NOT GIVING UP! A mailing to taxpayers in the Senate districts for those who voted against this important property tax reform is in the making. We need office volunteers! Call CFAT Office at 312-573-0308 for more details on this on-going campaign. CFAT News Source news@fairtaxes.net NO NEED TO HIRE LAWYER TO FILE PROPERTY TAX APPEAL! |
