Letter to Editor

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Letter to Editor

by Frank Miles on Thursday, September 9, 2010 at 7:16pm

Steve Jellen submitted the enclosed letter to the editors of the Telegraph and BND

A vibrant local Republican Party would be an asset to voters who would relish having more choice. But as it stands, many of the folks who run locally as Republicans hurt the Republican cause more than they help it. Kurt Prenzler is a good example. Kurt Prenzler is the Republican candidate for Treasurer of Madison County. But Mr. Prenzler runs not to do the Treasurer’s job, but to prevent it being done.

Kurt Prenzler got his start in politics resisting for many years the Edwardsville school district’s construction program. A religious fundamentalist, Mr. Prenzler home schools his own children in order to control what they learn. He then resents having to pay property taxes for schooling other people’s kids. His record is long and clear. He wishes for public schools to expire, not to continue and to grow so that he must pay school taxes forever. 60% of the taxes the Treasurer collects are disbursed to public schools.

Apart from accusing two incumbent Treasurers for their real and imagined shortcomings, Mr. Prenzler’s only program is to cut 30% out of the Treasurer’s office immediately. While that might accord with Prenzler’s hatred of government and taxes, it would not serve the public. If he burned the tax collection office to the ground it would not lower taxes. Mr. Prenzler should run for the legislature where tax and education policy is decided. Kurt Prenzler’s candidacy hurts the reputation of the local Republican Party. Future Republican candidates with something worthwhile to offer will first have to live it down.

Stephen Jellen

Edwardsville

County treasurer speaks with village board

Miles explains his role in the property tax system
By BILL TUCKER
btucker@edwpub.net
Published: Friday, August 20, 2010 11:31 AM CDT
Madison County Treasurer Frank Miles sends out the property tax bills and collects the property tax receipts.

To many people, then, he is tax man.

Miles, however, isn't and he explained his role and that of his office to members of the Maryville Board of Trustees at its meeting Wednesday.

Miles took over the post in December when Fred Bathon retired after a lengthy career in county politics.

One of the first things Miles did when assuming the office was embark on an educational journey that has taken him around the county.

"Since I've entered this office, we've been out to literally hundreds of meetings – village boards, city councils, Rotary clubs, Lions clubs, Optimists clubs, senior centers and various organizations –  with one purpose: to educate and inform the taxpayers and taxing districts of Madison County," he said.

And on those trips, the question Miles hears most is, "Can you lower my taxes?"

"When I tell people I'm the Madison County Treasurer, they want me to lower their taxes," Miles said. "I am the treasurer and collector of funds for Madison County. I'm responsible for preparing and mailing all of the tax bills. People make their property taxes out to me, that's why they think I can lower their property tax."

Miles can't, of course, lower taxes, but his office can point residents in the direction they need to go.

"I'm not responsible for assessing property values, I don't approve exemptions, I don't notify taxpayers whether or not their assessment changes, I don't set the tax rate or approve local taxing districts' budgets, deal with multipliers or get involved in the tax appealing process," Miles said.

His office does mail out the annual tax bills and tries to get that task accomplished each year between early May and early June.

Once that job is complete, his office is then responsible for collecting property tax revenues.

Miles said there are a number of options available to county residents for paying their taxes.

Payments can be brought to his Edwardsville office in person, direct withdrawals can be made from checking or savings accounts or payments can be made at one of 115 banks in Madison County.

Miles said payments can be made in one installment, two installments or four installments.

In addition, some residents opt to have their taxes estimated against last year's and then pay monthly.

"It's very similar to budget billing that the power company offers," Miles said.

"This program is very popular with seniors in Madison County. We've got about 1,600 seniors in the program."

Miles said the four-installment option has proven both popular and effective as the tax delinquency rate dropped by 21 percent last year.

Miles said the Treasurer's Traveling Help Desk was set up at Maryville Homecoming earlier this summer and pointed a handful of seniors toward tax exemptions they were unaware of.

Miles passed out three brochures to village board members and others in attendance: "Appealing Your Property Tax Assessment," "Monthly Payment Plan" and "Real Estate Property Tax Cycle."

Those brochures and other information are available by contacting the Madison County Treasurer's Help Desk at 692-6260.

Miles explains tax assessment process to Village Board | miles, county, tax - Local News - The Telegraph

Miles explains tax assessment process to Village Board | miles, county, tax - Local News - The Telegraph

Property Assessment Assistance - Riverbender.com News

Property Assessment Assistance - Riverbender.com News

Treasurer's office offering help desk


Will be available at the Glen Carbon Homecoming celebration
By STEVE RENSBERRY
srensberry@edwpub.net

Published: Thursday, June 17, 2010 11:46 AM CDT
Madison County residents who have questions about their property taxes or the tax process in general are in luck if they plan to attend the Glen Carbon Homecoming celebration this weekend.

The Help Desk of Madison County Treasurer Frank Miles will be available at the event from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday. Other Homecoming events will continue until midnight on both nights.

“We will have information available at our fingertips with the help of laptop computers that will allow the staff to access important property tax information to address individual taxpayer’s questions,” Miles said in a statement released to the media.

“We will also be distributing informational brochures on programs that are of particular interest to county residents.”

Information will be available on a range of topics, Miles said, including the tax cycle process, tax payment options, senior tax relief through the senior tax deferral program, and the steps involved in appealing a property assessment.

“We will even provide residents with the forms necessary to appeal property assessments. Information will also be available to Madison County residents concerning unclaimed property through the state of Illinois’ “Cash Dash” program,” Miles said.

Residents of Madison County can also get help by visiting the Treasurer’s Office Web site at www.madcotreasurer.org, by calling 692-6260, or by visiting the Treasurer’s Office on the first floor of the Madison County Administration Building on Main Street in downtown Edwardsville.

County Treasurer Hiring - Riverbender.com News

Here's a sample of an interview I did yesterday with WBGZ Alton Riverbend about my office' participation in the Put Illinois To Work Program....trying to do our part by helping move the economy forward!

County Treasurer Hiring - Riverbender.com News

What Frank said at his Swearing In....

....Chairman Dunstan, Judge Callis, Senator Haine, Representative Hoffman, my now “fellow” Madison County officials, area Mayors, members of the County Board, congressional staff, my family and my friends. I want to thank you all for joining me today at this important milestone in my life and for what I hope will be a milestone for the people of Madison County.

As the 27th Treasurer in the 198-year history of Madison County, it is my honor — and my responsibility — to provide the people of our great county with the best service possible and to effectively and diligently manage the public’s monies.

I, like each of the public servants who have joined us here this morning, do not take the task of managing the public’s money lightly. I accept that responsibility and I will be accountable.

Chairman Dunstan and the members of the Madison County Board have entrusted me with a great responsibility. While my appointment was based on education, experience and career skills the most important trait I bring to the Treasurer’s office is leadership.

The leadership to guide a staff committed to public service and professionalism, the leadership to always do what is best for our citizens and to operate an office that will be open to public scrutiny and transparency.

The Treasurer’s office that I will be responsible for will find new ways to effectively communicate with our citizens how their tax dollars are managed and spent.

My office will lead the effort to develop community outreach programs that will help our citizens obtain the tools and information they need to meet the economic challenges of this new decade. We will develop programs to aid homeowners who are struggling to pay their property taxes, we will explore ways to help our senior citizens struggling in these difficult times and work with local government to help stabilize property value.

But in order to accomplish these goals I will need your help. I intend to draw from a wide variety of disciplines to do this — business and labor leaders, economic developers and banking professionals, our elected leaders, Democrats and Republicans. President Kennedy once said, “We do these things not because they are easy but because they are hard.” As the Treasurer of Madison County I look forward to this challenge.

I want to thank my staff in the Planning and Development department. I cannot say enough about the support they have given me during my tenure as the department’s director. And my thanks to the members of the county board serving on the Planning and Development Committee for the direction they provided as well as the latitude to address important issues that affect our county.

I am particularly proud of the department’s efforts to improve the environment in Madison County and implementing outstanding programs that educate our youth on the importance of recycling and our collective impact on the planet.

To my new staff in the Treasurer’s office I have only one rule and I learned that rule from my mentor, US Congressman Jerry Costello. That rule is that we cannot wait for things to happen we have to make them happen. And while we will be diligent in management of the public’s money, we will be aggressive in our efforts to serve the public and we will be fair.

I want to thank my wife Amy, my kids and the rest of my family who have joined me here today for the love and support they give me and for their understanding and patience. I want to thank my Dad and Mom, my brother, in-laws, aunts, uncles, friends and other supporters who have always been there for me.

I also want to thank several people who have had a positive impact on my life and my career. Alan Dunstan and Matt Melucci of Madison County, the mayor of my hometown, Ed Hagnauer of Granite City, Mayor Gary Niebur of Edwardsville, my adopted hometown and where I started my career in the public service, and Mayor Gary Graham of O’Fallon where I spent many productive years and where I also met my wife. I am sincerely grateful for the opportunities those gentlemen — and the people of those great cities — gave me.

Ladies and gentlemen, as I take the next step in my career as a public servant the only promise I can make to the people of Madison County is that I will work hard on their behalf and that I will be completely honest in my service to them as your Madison County Treasurer.

Again, thank you all for being here with me this morning. I now want to ask my Sunday School teacher Chris Kuhl back up here again to say a prayer of support as I start this new phase in my life.

FRANK MILES SWORN IN AS TREASURER

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

With his family watching, new Madison County Treasurer Frank Miles is sworn in Monday by Chief 3rd Circuit Judge Ann Callis in the board room of the Madison County Administration Building in downtown Edwardsville.



Miles takes time to greet the crowd that gathered to watch him take his oath as treasurer.



His biggest fan and supporter, Andrew Miles.

MILES SWORN IN AS MADISON COUNTY TREASURER

EDWARDSVILLE - Madison County Treasurer Frank Miles said Monday at his swearing-in ceremony that he would support programs to make it easier for homeowners, notably senior citizens, to pay their taxes.

He also promised to reach out to the community to make the tax-paying process more understandable.

"We can't wait for things to happen; we have to make things happen," Miles said, borrowing a phrase from his political mentor, U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Belleville.

Miles, 50, was sworn in on the first day of government business after the retirement of Fred Bathon, who left office at the end of 2009.

Miles was supervisor of the Madison County Planning and Development Department and has spent his entire career in government.

Miles was appointed Dec. 1 to fill the office until next November's general election. He has filed to run in the Feb. 2 Democratic primary for the spot on the November ballot to fill out the remainder of Bathon's unexpired term, which ends in 2012.

Miles promised Monday to operate an open and scrupulously honest office.

The County Board approved Chairman Alan Dunstan's recommendation to appoint Miles to fill the post Jan. 1. Bathon left Dec. 31.

Miles, 49, is a native of Granite City and lives in Edwardsville. He is the former congressional district chief of staff for Costello. He has served as planning director for the city of Edwardsville, comptroller and finance officer for the Madison County Circuit Clerk's Office, and as city administrator and economic developer for the city of O'Fallon.

By SANFORD J. SCHMIDT
The Telegraph