AJC/ACC Voter Guide - Local & Legislative Questionnaire

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Arefeen earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in biology, as well as a graduate certificate in disaster management and his master's in business administration (MBA) from Georgia State University. Chowdhury lives in Lawrenceville with his wife, Maliha, and their daughter.

Arefeen currently works as a financial planning and analysis manager at ABM Industries and teaches as an adjunct professor of microbiology and general biology at Gwinnett Technical College. He previously worked as a financial analyst and risk manager at several major companies, including Amazon and Mercedes-Benz.

Arefeen Chowdhury ran to represent district 105 in the Georgia House of Representatives in 2022 but was disqualified from the general election.

Candidate website

Facebook

The candidate's website says, "By extending weekend hours, simplifying the online payment system, and making official tax documents available upon request in various languages, we can better serve the growing diverse population in Gwinnett."

Promises to enhance customer service by expanding weekend hours, simplifying the online payment system, and making official tax documents available in multiple languages.

Said, "I will work to reduce taxes by identifying waste and ensuring our resources are used wisely. I will also perform a complete audit of our tax code and tax calculations."

Promises to reduce taxes by minimizing waste and auditing the county financial plan and tax code."

Said, "I will ensure our office seeks and utilizes all options available to ease the burden of taxes on our citizens while also lobbying for new exemptions. I will be YOUR advocate."

Promises to lobby for new exemptions to save taxpayer money.

Supports increasing cybersecurity measures to ensure taxpayers' financial information remains private.

- Promises to enhance customer service by expanding weekend hours, simplifying the online payment system, and making official tax documents available in multiple languages.
- Promises to reduce taxes by minimizing waste and auditing the county financial plan and tax code."
- Promises to lobby for new exemptions to save taxpayer money.
- Supports increasing cybersecurity measures to ensure taxpayers' financial information remains private.

Administration

Arefeen Chowdhury

Plans to leverage finance background to manage Gwinnett County's budget efficiently, aiming to maintain its appeal as a desirable community for living, working, and family life.

The candidate's website says, "Our county deserves a Tax Commissioner who is constantly looking for ways to elevate customer service, save taxpayers money, and serve our growing diverse community with excellence."

Promises to treat community members with respect and save taxpayer money.

- Promises to enhance customer service by expanding weekend hours, simplifying the online payment system, and making official tax documents available in multiple languages.
- Promises to reduce taxes by minimizing waste and auditing the county financial plan and tax code."
- Promises to lobby for new exemptions to save taxpayer money.

Arefeen Chowdhury is married to Dr. Maliha Munir and together they have a daughter. He attended Georgia State University in Atlanta, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Biology and Chemistry, a Master's degree in Biology, and an MBA in Finance. The provided information does not specify where they live or what church they attend.

Arefeen Chowdhury is an Adjunct Professor of Microbiology & General Biology at Gwinnett Technical College. He has also served in the United States Army and the Georgia National Guard from 2016-2019. Currently, he works as a Financial Planning & Analysis Manager for a Fortune 500 company, overseeing 22 states and multi-billion dollar annual budgets. His past experience includes over a decade of working with Fortune 500 companies in financial risk management, budget balancing, and conducting audits to mitigate waste and abuse.

As of May 3, 2024, Arefeen Chowdhury, Mba’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Arefeen Chowdhury, Mba

Tax Commissioners are elected at the county level, and their job is to oversee most phases of the taxing process. These responsibilities include billing, collecting, processing, and distributing taxes. They are generally in charge of property taxes, solid waste fees, public utilities, and renewing your vehicle tag. Notably, the Tax Commissioner does not determine how much taxes you pay. Because taxes are a source of revenue for counties, the tax commissioners’ work is ultimately beneficial to individual cities, education, transportation, and other local services. In addition to administering tax laws, the department is responsible for enforcing laws and  regulations pertaining to the control of alcoholic beverages and tobacco products in Georgia as well as motor vehicle license plate and title administration.

Oversees the taxing process in the county