Last fall, we launched our second Integrity Icon contest, to identify the most principled, hardworking, service-oriented city workers in Philadelphia. After vetting the nominations, we sent a shortlist to our group of judges, who picked five incredible winners to be Philadelphia’s 2022 Integrity Icons.
One of those is Rebecca Lopez Kriss, deputy commissioner for Policy, Outreach and Taxpayer Assistance Programs in the Department of Revenue.
As a steward of our city’s tax dollars, Lopez Kriss is in the center of some of the most important—and opaque—work in Philadelphia government. She pushes for integrity by making the Revenue Department more transparent, navigable and easy to understand for citizens so they know their rights—and know what help is available.
She leads an incredible amount of outreach throughout the city: Her team utilizes social media, text and email; meets people at community events (as many as 300 in one year); publishes clear infographics; makes videos on Facebook and YouTube during tax season—all with the intent to make the Revenue Department as approachable as possible.
In addition, Lopez Kriss helps to support the Tiered Assistance Program, which helps low income Philadelphians keep their water on, and Owner-Occupied Payment Agreement, which allows homeowners to make affordable monthly payments on overdue property taxes. And she worked to remake forms and reports in plain language, in many languages, so average taxpayers can understand.
The judges noted all this as evidence that Lopez Kriss is there to be of real service to taxpayers—not just to do the job and go home.
“It’s very easy to do ‘good enough,’ but as a steward of tax dollars, it’s important to provide the best help with what I have,” Lopez Kriss says. “That takes resourcefulness, ingenuity, and hustle to come up with solutions.”
Cast your vote for Rebecca Lopez Kriss
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