Cook County Assessor wants more equity and transparency from office
By Tia Carol Jones
Kari Steele is running for Cook County Assessor. She decided to run because she believes the property tax system in Cook County needs to be reformed. The person who runs the Cook County Assessor’s Office should be someone who is a consensus builder, a communicator, who will listen to stakeholders’ input and implement the necessary changes. Currently, Steele president of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. She touts a record during her more than 10 years at MWRD of bringing people together.
In Cook County, the Assessor is responsible for providing accurate property assessments. According to the Cook County Assessor’s website: Assessed values are set on real estate as a basis for levying taxes and determining the distribution of property tax levies among taxpayers.
Steele doesn’t believe there is fair and accurate accounting of property taxes currently happening, nor is it being done in a timely manner.
“The assessed values are being turned in late, and when the assessed value is turned in late, that means you’ll get your property tax bill late,” she said.
Steele talked about a snowball scenario where it could mean seniors and those who are not in escrow would have tax bills come back-to-back, or it could affect household budgets. She added, it could also affect municipalities that depend on funds from property taxes for resources which can include funding police departments, fire departments and schools. When it comes to property taxes, Steele likened it to a group project where the Assessor, Board of Review, Treasurer and Clerk all have to work together.
Steele has heard people complain about property tax exemptions and how they are handled. She believes there is a need for a competent manager to ensure the exemptions are applied correctly.
Steele believes her scientific background as a chemist and her ability to handle complex formulas will benefit her as a Cook County Assessor. As president of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, she leads an agency with $1.2 billion budget that maintains a AAA bond rating.
Steele is a licensed real estate broker, as well as a certified Illinois Assessing Officer. Steele got the certification when she decided to run for Cook County Assessor because she wants to be able to relate to her staff, which is important to her. “I want to be a voice at the table for everyday working families that need that stability, but also for small businesses that deserve predictability so they can keep their doors open,” she said.
Steele would like to increase community outreach in the Cook County Assessor’s Office and make the appeals office friendlier.
Steele believes taxpayers should understand what they’re paying, why they’re paying it and feel comfortable with what they’re paying. She added taxpayers want to feel that they’re paying their fair share. She also wants to educate the community about resources available at the Cook County Assessor’s Office and highlight career paths within the office so young people can see pathways for job opportunities.
Steele would create transparency within the Cook County Assessor’s Office by sharing her property tax equations and values that are explained during the assessment process. The goal would be for taxpayers to see the assessments are uniform because the office would share the formula.
For more information about Steele’s campaign, visit kariforassessor.com.
