CASH ON HAND Not available | ||
RUNNING FOR COOK COUNTY ASSESSOR JOE BERRIOS (D) | OPPONENTS Forrest Claypool (I) |
The Man: The first Hispanic elected to office in Chicago, Joe Berrios has been handling property appeals for 22 years on the County Board of Review. Before that, the current Chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party served three terms as as a State representative in Springfield.
If elected, Berrios promises to fairly assess properties at market value, incorporate new technology to ensure accurate assessments, and improve customer service.
The Knock: Berrios has ties to the democratic machine. Chicago magazine recently reported that Berrios has been giving tax breaks to generous Democratic donors, putting relatives on the payroll, and accepting campaign contributions from tax attorneys who have business with the County Board of Review. The Strategy:
Normally this election gets little more than a glance, but this year voters are paying attention. Berrios will need to put some breathing room between himself and the Democratic machine if he intends to win a majority in the polls.
The Buzz:
- NBCChicago reports Berrios "ain't ready for reform"
- SunTimes Questionnaire
- Chicago Tribune Questionnaire
- WBEZ's Chip Mitchell breaks down the Assessor race and the candidates
- Chicago Tribune breaks down Assessor Race
- Chicago magazine investigates Joe Berrios' tax cuts and outlines what the Assessor does
- NBCChicago.com breaks down Chicago magazine's article
- Daily Herald covers Assessor debate over property tax reform