Grafton Township Assessor: Alan Zielinski

Alan Zielinski

Age: 62.

Family: Mary & Bob (sister and brother-in-law), Michaelene (significant other) and Sasha, Klondike, Igloo & Mickie (four rescue Samoyeds who comprise our Fuzzy White Dog Pack).

Education:

B.S., Chemical Engineering from Purdue University.

MBA from Michigan State University.

All required fundamental and continuing education courses for active Real Estate Appraiser certifications in Illinois and Wisconsin.

All required coursework for a Certified Illinois Assessment Officer designation.

Occupation: real estate and business valuation.

Previous elected or appointed offices: none.

Position sought: Grafton Township Assessor.

Political party: Republican.

Campaign E-mail address:  Info@AlforAssessor.com

Campaign committee: Taxpayers behind Alan Zielinski for Assessor.

Campaign Website: www.Al-for-Assessor.com

What is the primary reason you are running for this office?

Generally, my deep concern for the residents of Grafton Township, especially the less fortunate.

Specifically, people are paying more than their fair share of property taxes and I will fix that.

We're in daunting economic times where every dollar counts in the home and at the township.

Property tax appeals are an enormous and unnecessary waste of time and money.

After serving property tax appeal clients for many years, I’ve realized the system is broken and I’ve reached the limit of what I can do as an appraiser to champion the causes of residential and business property owners.

A certified appraiser in the assessor's office will help fix the systemic problem by providing accurate, timely assessments thereby reducing the need for appeals. 

What will be your single most important priority if you get elected?

There are two equally important priorities.

1. Providing an efficient, effective and working system for accurate, fair and timely assessments that only an engineer and an appraiser can set in place.
2. Championing a Property Taxpayer Bill of Rights to level the playing field for all Illinois property owners.

What are the top three issues facing Grafton Township residents?

1. The township's grim financial situation.
2. Rebuilding trust in, teamwork with and unified support of its township officials. Professionalism, dialog and consensus must replace lawsuits.
3. The ongoing in-fighting and name-calling within the community. The past is the past and our focus must be the future.

What sets you apart from the other candidate?

Numerous positive factors.

(1)  Experience.

• Eleven years of appraisal experience, 30 years of diverse valuation experience and 40 years of general business experience dealing with and resolving real financial and leadership problems.
• I’ve successfully managed multi-million dollar budgets and P&L responsibilities while displaying cohesive executive leadership of hundreds of people.
• I’m not a politician and I’ve been building successful businesses since before my opponent was born.

(2)  Advanced education, multi-state appraiser certifications and construction experience.

• An MBA from Michigan State University.
• Certified Appraiser status in Illinois and Wisconsin with FHA and VA authorizations. As an appraiser, I’m held personally accountable and liable for the valuations I set. That level of accountability is something the residents of Grafton should expect from their assessor.
• Growing-up as the son of a general contractor and working every summer at his side, I learned the building trade firsthand: residential to industrial. Even stick-built my first house!

(3)  Executive vision.

• The "job" extends far beyond the day-to-day activities. It includes looking at what the "job" was intended to achieve and how to ultimately get there.
• In the case of an assessor, it's accurately establishing property values leading to the fair treatment of taxpayers.
• Extending the concept of fair treatment with executive vision brings my proposed Property Taxpayer Bill of Rights into perspective. My opponent offers no comparable vision.

(4)  Focus.

• Grafton Township is in dire financial straits.
• My focus is, and always has been, the speedy healing of our community.
• The ability to diligently work ourselves out of that financial pit will require astute financial planning and management by our Trustees.
• For that to occur, the new Trustees will require accurate and timely assessments so prudent and realistic cash flow plans can be initiated. There can be no “Sorry, I missed that.” because there will be no “second chance.”
• My ability to be a high-contribution team member in turnaround situations is why I chose to enter this race offering my education, experience and qualifications in my bid for assessor.

(5)  Commitment to excellence.

• My work days are usually 12-plus hours and that same level of commitment will be made as assessor.
• Fixing a broken system can't be achieved with any less of a commitment and/or work ethic.

(6)  Empathy.

• I deeply believe public service is about serving the public not building personal wealth.
• Realizing some people are far worse-off than I, I’ve promised to donate 10% of my gross assessor salary to the Grafton Food Pantry until times improve for everyone.

Anything else you would like to add? Additional comments:

This is a pivotal time for Grafton Township on numerous levels with the two predominant being regaining its financial stability and community cohesiveness.

Grafton Township has endured more than its fair share of abrasion, acrimony and internal attacks; it needs to move forward with its residents burying hatchets and cohesively working together.

Remaining at odds is an unpalatable, financially-ruinous alternative.

My extensive business background can be a catalyst in the community’s healing process. 

It's crucial that Grafton's $1.6 billion assessed property value be placed in the hands of a veteran professional with proven risk-management and leadership skills. My opponent has neither.

My education and broad senior executive experience will help the new Trustees navigate the treacherous financial straits ahead.

My commitment to this community remains absolute and I plan to use my decades of business skills and diverse valuation experience helping the new Trustees’ in their financial planning in every way possible.

When elected, in addition to Grafton Township getting a highly-qualified assessor, it will get a valuable and seasoned business leadership resource as well.