:quality(70):focal(1995x1390:2005x1400)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/P5PX3A5Z5VARHMBVMRAPB6HQ7Q.jpeg)
Full Name: Joseph Birkey
What office are you seeking? Treasurer
What offices, if any, have you previously held? Bureau County Treasurer first term starting 12/01/2018
City: Princeton
Occupation: Bureau County Treasurer
Education: Bachelors Degree in Accounting and Certified Public Accountant
What would be your top three priorities over the next four years?
- Keep Bureau County residents informed on real estate tax payment due dates and other relevant information about the property tax collection cycle.
- Update the Treasurer’s website.
- Continue with providing the residents of Bureau County a friendly and courteous interaction.
Taxes are a top concern raised by voters locally. What do you do within your position to address residents’ tax burden?
Mostly to educate the voters about the start to finish process of the real estate tax cycle. Starting with the assessed valuation of the property and available exemptions. From there, discuss the steps of the tax levy process and how the tax rates are determined.
If you could redo or reverse any one decision made by the county treasurer in the last four years, what would it be and why?
At this point, I feel that I would not redo or reverse any previous decisions made in the past four years.
What do you bring to the table that your opponents do not?
I have the education and years of work experience with governmental finances, auditing and payroll to competently perform the duties of Treasurer.