By: Diane Benjamin
Rick Perez is a Democrat running for McLean County Board District 3 – the seat George Wendt held.
From his Facebook page:
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From his LinkedIn – notice it’s the same picture:
Perez lives here:
Just to verify, this is his statement of candidacy showing the same address:
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He bought the house in 2024:
The County records show he is exempt from property taxes because he is a 100% disabled vet:
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All it takes to be declared a disabled vet is a letter from the VA. He is likely receiving military compensation for the disability.
Note: His Facebook page mentions he is a vet, it doesn’t mention anything about being disabled. His disability could be PTSD and not visible. Should he be hiding the 100% disabled from voters? You decide.
Voters need to know that any votes he would take on raising property taxes won’t effect him. Should he be hiding that part?
Being exempt saves him at least $11,600 a year. It’s a very nice house with an inground swimming pool.
His service to the country was honorable, is how he is running for office?
By the way, The McLean County Democrat Party is proud they were all endorsed by a socialist group in Chicago. See this story if you missed it: https://blnnews.com/2026/08/28/want-to-be-chicago-south-elections-have-consequences/
Good grief. Multiple income streams while citizens can’t get sustainable jobs. Infrastructure projects have become a big $ and influence game in Central Illinois. Using military status has becime the biggest east miney scheme for projects over the last 10 some years. Roles/programs and mgt are not what they seem but brag about but gets them what they want.
Thanks for keeping up in this.
Going after a disabled vet, cool. If he talked about being a disabled vet then you’d criticize him for milking that for sympathy in the election. If he keeps it private, he must be “hiding” something.
You seem like kind of an odd person to be going after someone who has had to deal with tragedy. What would you think if people stared digging into and posting about that?
I expected idiocy from you. Future comments will be deleted
100% disabled and 0 property tax. I’m all for helping vets but it’s seems the system is not longer for those long time cirizens and taxpayers (who pay full price for everything and property taxed gouged) but incentivised for a select groups.
I am the son of TWO WWII veterans. I honor veterans. However, the Illinois property tax code is in serious need of being rewritten from top to bottom. There are 3 different classes of veterans disability for property tax exemptions: 30-50%, 50-70% and 70%+. They give varying discounts and the 70+ grants no tax liability. The number of vets rated 70+ is growing rapidly. Some but not all seem to be in great health. Funny how so few are rated 30-50% or so. Someone running for PUBLIC office should be asked more about why and if this would be a problem for someone setting tax policy for everyone else. Remember when Tammy Duckworth got in trouble claiming two properties with the 100% disabled exemption? Who checks? No light at the end of the tunnel as most voters will stay home or re-elect the super-majority in Springfield in November…
I have always supported any way that our veterans can be taken care of after their service to our country ends but Diane asks the most obvious question how motivated will someone who doesn’t pay any real estate taxes be motivated to try and lower our taxes. Kinda like a councilman who is a teacher where their pay and retirement comes from taxes, how motivated will that person be to lower our real estate taxes, just saying.
Thank you Diane for just reporting the obvious.
As a “disabled vet myself” not sure how I feel..I certainly see your point about property tax ( I pay full amount btw) but he’s kinda in a no win spot. Mention disabled and some will say he’s playing sympathy or that he’s not able. Don’t mention and he’s hiding something……..so lets assume he’s okay and just another Illinois democrat, as if they care about property tax anyway.
First, I have a family member who is rated 100 percent disabled by the VA. When he entered the military, he was 100 percent fully functioning. After more than eight years of honorable service, he came home with problems involving his back, knees, shoulders, eyes and lungs, along with PTSD. I guess watching people get blown up has a way of changing a person. He receives a property-tax exemption and a few other benefits because of his service-connected disabilities. Illinois law specifically provides significant property-tax relief for veterans with a VA-certified service-connected disability of 70 percent or greater. Does he deserve it? Absolutely. He served his country honorably. He did his time. He came home to us, but he certainly didn’t come home the same person who left.
Those benefits aren’t some little government giveaway. There was a price paid for them, and anyone who thinks otherwise is welcome to spend eight years wearing the uniform and see what condition they’re in when they’re finished.
But I think Diane’s point is being missed. This isn’t about whether a disabled veteran deserves a property-tax exemption. It’s about “skin in the game.” If someone running for public office personally pays little or no property tax because of an exemption, it’s fair for taxpayers to ask how that affects the person’s perspective when considering policies that could increase everyone else’s property-tax burden. That doesn’t mean a disabled veteran shouldn’t hold office. It means taxpayers are entitled to ask questions. If you’re voting to reach into my pocket, I’d like to know whether your hand is reaching into your own pocket at the same time.
I have close family members who served in Korea and Vietnam. My husband is a Marine veteran. My family also honors veterans and their service. We believe they are entitled to all the benefits they deserve. But questions needs to be asked why this candidate did not disclose his employment as a project manager with Constellation and will it affect his votes with wind, solar, battery storage or data centers that seem to be the big question this election. His district is rural, this will affect many in his district and all rural communities in McLean County. Will his disability hinder his ability to serve on the county board? With him not paying property taxes will he care about what you and I pay for? With him not being transparent with his veterans disability and employment with energy companies will he be a honest board member? That’s something you as a voter needs to decide. I agree with FYI that the property tax code exemptions needs to be reworked and the number of vets rated 70% and above is growing rapidly. We looked at protesting our property taxes and looking at comparable properties we found 3 homes 100% vet disabled on one street! What a coincidence. This is an upper class neighborhood and all 3 were purchased within the last 4 years. I don’t know if any of you got your new property tax assessment in the mail yesterday? We did and ours went up 8 1/2%. Don’t forget your second installment is due the 10th. I know I am going to enjoy writing that check this week and even a larger one next year.
He didn’t seem 100% disabled when I met him at the chamber of commerce PAC fundraiser. In shape, well spoken, moved around with no obvious issues. I can see why they picked him to run, hoping to siphon off some conservative rural voters with the allure of his veteran status. But make no mistake, he’s a far left radical liberal who wants to make Mclean County into a mini-Cook county or something like Champaign County.
Vote Republican.