There's a lot at stake for Cook County seniors in the November battle for County Assessor. Earlier this month, Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation to preserve temporarily the current $20,000 property tax exemption for Cook County homeowners, often referred to as the "7 percent cap." The bill did include a controversial provision,
supported by House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago), that requires
roughly 280,000 seniors who now automatically receive an exemption to
reapply annually for the tax relief, which amounts to hundreds of
dollars per home.
This morning, Greg Hinz reports that Democratic Assessor nominee Joe Berrios
is calling on the General Assembly to reverse the senior add-on, legislation that would surely pass if it came up for a vote. That's significant
because Berrios is a longtime Madigan ally. He's also facing a serious challenge from Independent Forrest Claypool, who himself wants to make the exemptions permanent. Berrios still has a long way to go
to assure progressives and reformers that he has the best interest of
taxpayers at heart, but this break with the Speaker (if genuine) is a welcome
development.
