Cook County Assessor James Houlihan accused Joe Berrios of trying to delay the arrival of property tax bills until after the November 2 election. Houlihan is retiring this year, and clout-heavy Berrios - a commissioner on the three-member tax Board of Review - is running for Houlihan's job in the November general election. Berrios is also the chairman of the Cook County Democrat Party and an ally of Illinois Democrat Party Chairman and Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan (photo right).
According to the Tribune, "Houlihan said Berrios is slowing the work of the review board to make sure Cook County voters aren't angered before the election by higher tax bills. A cap on property-tax assessments will end in the city this year and is being phased out in the suburbs. Those caps have have limited property tax increases for many homeowners."
Madigan opposes extending the so-called tax cap, something Houlihan has been asking the General Assembly to do for well more than a year. Madigan makes money as an attorney handling property tax issues in Cook County in addition to his significant taxpayer salary as Speaker and the generous pension benefits the working men and women will be paying to provide for generations to come.
More about Berrios' antics in Illinois Review's special investigation section.
