Oak Forest Residents Confounded By Departure Of Taxpayer Advocate As Appeal Deadline Nears

OAK FOREST, IL — As the deadline for property tax appeals looms, Oak Forest residents were taken aback by the recent resignation of Taxpayer Advocate Grace Bardusk.

Bardusk had served in the role most recently since 2023, appointed after the death of previous officeholder Guy Gattone, but had also held the position from 2003-2007 before then serving as Bremen Township Assessor.

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The taxpayer advocate role is unique to Oak Forest—an elected position that serves as a watchdog and intermediary between residents and taxing bodies and, most essentially, helps local property owners navigate and file tax appeals with Cook County.

As the Sept. 24 appeal deadline looms, the City of Oak Forest last week announced Bardusk's resignation, instead directing residents to Bremen Township for assistance.

Residents have questioned the abrupt nature and timing of Bardusk's departure.

"I am writing to express the concerns of our community regarding the absence of our Taxpayer Advocate, Ms. Bardusk," one resident wrote to Patch. "In light of the recent tax reassessments that have been issued, many residents of our city are in urgent need of her expertise and assistance. Unfortunately, City Hall has not provided adequate information about her whereabouts or the circumstances surrounding her departure.

"We have been directed to contact Bremen Township, but residents are skeptical about the efficacy of this route. It is hard to believe that Ms. Bardusk would resign so close to the vital reassessment period, leaving many of us without valuable guidance at a critical time. ... Her presence is crucial for the residents who require support navigating the complexities of their reassessments."

Bardusk, whose letter of resignation was stamped as received on July 23, spoke candidly with Patch about the impetus of her resignation, citing the demands of the position and lack of necessary technology to complete tasks efficiently. The letter obtained via public records request filed by Patch listed her last day as Aug. 5.

"It has been a pleasure returning to a position I held over 23 years ago," Bardusk wrote in the letter. "Two decades ago, I serviced approximately 20-30 clients per year in Oak Forest, and over the years, the responsibilities have grown significantly.

"In 2024 1 managed 374 phone calls, processed 441 appeals manually and logged in 620.5 hrs. In 2025, I managed 406 phone calls, processed 588 appeals manually, logged in 583.25 hours, and made several home visits."

Bardusk told Patch she needed a computer program to streamline and expedite the steps of an appeal—a process she had historically completed manually. But as the demands on her position increased, so did the time she was dedicating to what is designed to be a part-time role with an annual salary of $4,000, Bardusk said.

"I didn't want to leave, but I don't have a choice," Bardusk told Patch. "I can't be just one person servicing 600 appeals by myself, manually."

Bardusk said it was a difficult situation to leave, but that she felt she had no choice, given the circumstances.

"My position—I don't make rules, laws, I don't vote on anything," she said. "I'm a service to the residents of Oak Forest. It's a bitter pill for me, because I just feel really bad. I did everything I could. ...

"This could be a full-time job, because it just snowballs, one thing into another. I could only do so much, give so much back. ... I just can't do that volume by myself. It's time-consuming, it really is, without that program. ... What it comes down to, is we are in need of the AIM program or similar for the office of Taxpayer Advocate to work effectively and efficiently."

The City, for its part, said it tried to gain access to the system but was unable to.

"Grace did serve a lot of people, and the volume was high, so by having access to that program, it would convert that program from manual to more streamlined," said City Administrator Moses Amidei. "The City looked into gaining access to that program via the county and township program,—we were not able to get access to that program. It's only available to Cook County assessors. We were not able to get access, even through an intergovernmental agreement."

Bardusk said she was told in December 2025 that Bremen Township Supervisor Kathy Straneiro had approved the program, but did not know what had transpired since.

Facing another appeal season without the tool was too daunting, she said.

"It just became impossible to do the position, the way that it is," Bardusk said. "It just can't be done, not for that duration. I tried, people. I really tried."

Former Oak Forest mayor Pat Gordon—who spearheaded the creation of the role in 1997—spoke to the role's beginnings and its evolution.

The role was created in 1997, after a group of homeowners in The Landings subdivision believed that their property taxes were too high. They banded together and referred to "How To Appeal Your Property Taxes Without A Lawyer"—a book authored in 1988 by former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn.

"They appealed it, they won and their taxes were reduced," Bardusk said.

Oak Forest residents might find themselves in similar positions this year, Gordon said, as the recent reassessment has seen property values drastically increase—including Gordon's.

"The reassessments are just unbelievable," Gordon said. "My own, raised the property by a third of its value."

The position was created by voter referendum in 1997, Gordon said, and has grown in importance over the years.

"I think it's tremendously important now," Gordon said. "The difference with the way it was created—it started out slowly, but now, with the economy, prices have gone crazy, people have their backs against the wall."

The expertise needed to serve in the role was deep, Bardusk said, and the program Bardusk she was requesting helped make the job more feasible.

"There's no training for that now," she said. It's obsolete. Because of that program, it became obsolete long ago. I have the experience, I'm a real estate agent. All those play a role in helping people."

Gordon agreed.

"The knowledge, the willingness, the amount of work you're willing to put in," he said, "It's become basically a full-time job."

Amidei said in anticipation of Bardusk's departure, he spoke with the Bremen Township Assessor's Office to advise them of a likely influx of requests for appeal assistance. The assessor's website says they are "available to answer questions about property ownership, sales data, permanent index numbers or tax estimates for new construction," and that they are "first and foremost your local property tax advocate."

"We understand that Grace's position is going to be tough to fill, as an advocate for Oak Forest taxpayers, one needs to be familiar with the process of filing tax appeals with Cook County," Amidei said. "It is a position of advocacy—not only taxpayer advocate, but also what an assessor does in Cook County.

"Anyone with any need to appeal their assessment is welcome to call the Bremen Township Assessor. They're able to help either over the phone, where they can send in the appeal directly to Cook County, or if it requires more due diligence, residents are able to make an appointment with them, especially if comparables are needed as part of their application with Cook County."

Amidei praised Bardusk for the dedication she'd shown in the role.

"Grace really very honorably served the residents of Oak Forest well," said Moses Amidei, City Administrator. "She put in a lot of time and that was great, especially to provide such a service as an advocate, with the property tax system being very sensitive, especially in the Southland … We really salute her, for all she did for our residents.

"It's going to be a tough role to fill."

An appointment to the role is not imminent, he added, saying that anyone interested in the position can contact Mayor Jim Hortsman at cityofoakforest@oak-forest.org.

Bardusk's term was set to expire in 2027, and the office will be up for election for a full, four-year term in the consolidated election on April 6, 2027.

Bardusk said the residents know the importance of the taxpayer advocate role.

"We're the only ones," she said, of Oak Forest being the only Illinois municipality to have the position. "We're the lucky ones."

She apologized to residents for leaving at such an impactful time.

"It's up to them now," she said. "I've done what I can do. I was literally left no choice.

"I tried."