For those hoping Cook County Assessor-elect Joe Berrios will uphold
his campaign promises to make the property assessment process more
transparent and fair, the election night quote he delivered to the
Chicago News Cooperative is a bit discouraging:
"To
me it was all a bunch of bunk," Berrios told the Chicago News
Cooperative, when asked about the persistent criticism of cronyism that
has dogged his campaign. He vowed greater transparency, but set a vague
standard for it, saying that from day one "you will see more
information than you have in the past" out of the office.
On his campaign website, Berrios said this his office would ensure "assessment notices can be read with clarity." He even posted a sample notice
(PDF) that he thinks is an improvement over the current paperwork sent
out to homeowners each year. But saying only that "more information"
will be made available is a pretty low bar to set, especially when
accusations of corruption dominated the campaign. It'd be nice to see our new
Assessor make some concrete proposals in the coming months.
The proposed budget plan by Chicago Public
Schools is facing backlash from educators and city aldermen -- all while leaving Mayor Rahm Emanuel in a difficult position. 
