What is your name?

Jan Becker

Tell us more about yourself.

My family is the most important thing to me — the happiness of my daughters and grandsons and on most days, my husband. I fell in love with Georgia and Cobb County when I moved here from upstate, New York, in the spring of 1992 with a 2-year-old in her car seat next to me. This is my home, my community and I will live here forever. I count my blessings to have been part of the Cobb County government family for over 11 years and look forward to being a part of it again once elected. Service to the community is a calling and I have heard the call and am able and willing to serve the residents of Cobb County once again.

What office are you running for?

Cobb County Tax Commissioner

What is your party affiliation?

Democrat

Attach a photo of yourself

Attach your resume or CV.

Where did you go to school?

- Bachelor’s degree in management, State University of New York at Binghamton and University of Phoenix, 2005 - Associates degree in business marketing management and sales, SUNY BCC, 1989 - Local Government Management certification, University of Georgia - Georgia Association of Tax Officials training, 2017, - TC Tech (Tax Commissioner Technology Training) - Broker License; continuing education in real estate

Provide the link to your campaign website.

janforcobb.com

What is your job/occupation?

Early retirement from the Cobb Tax Commissioners Office and licensed real estate broker

What city/neighborhood do you live in?

Marietta

Is this your first time running for office?

Yes

What experiences have best prepared you to hold elected office?

I served in the Cobb Tax Commissioner’s Office as a senior manager. There is nothing that prepares you for a job like having "on the job" experience. Over the years, I've seen good-to-great elected officials and I've seen those who are just plain bad. I know I can and will be a good leader of this organization.

What would be your top priority upon winning office?

Stop the wasteful spending of taxpayer funds and the self-glorification of the position of tax commissioner.

What actions would you take to enhance government transparency and trust in government?

I wouldn't be hiding things from the public. What we do in office is for the benefit of the people, not the people in office. My office would be an open book with no secrets needing to be hidden.

Do you believe Georgia elections are secure and what additional security measures can be taken?

Yes I do believe they are secure. Both my husband and I have volunteered during elections in a variety of positions (poll watchers and ballot transporters. I managed the collecting of ballots from drop boxes, vote counter, etc.). I know what goes on behind the scenes so I am very confident in our processes.

What is government's responsibility to ensure affordable housing?

As a broker this is a tricky question. There are realms of documentation showing the failures of Section 8 housing and its pitfalls, and its tendency to create generational dependency on such a system. Cobb County has gone from a very affordable place to live to, "not so much" anymore. With investors buying up properties that were once "first time homebuyer" homes — and turning them into rentals — prices have pressed upward making it extremely difficult to buy that all important first-time buyer home. We may well be on the way to rent-control to counteract Investor greed that I believe has had a major impact on the "affordably situation..

Do you believe public access to public records is sufficient in your jurisdiction and, if not, what steps do you support to remedy that?

Yes and no. Currently, in order to get information, you have to know what you want and what form that information is preserved in. So yes, if you know this you can get it (for a fee). If you don't request it in the correct format, you get back a notification stating something to the effect, that the the Open Records Act does not require (whoever) to compilate or create a record not currently in existence. This means that they may have the information — but not in the format you requested it. I think the matching information should be sent in the condition it exists under, along with a notice explaining that it is being sent as such.