Chicago City Wire

Cook County Board president GOP candidate Bob Fioretti is calling out Democrat opponent incumbent Toni Preckwinkle for the county’s delayed property tax bills. 

Fioretti said Preckwinkle is allowing reckless spending and out-of-control taxes on Cook County residents. 

“Municipalities are struggling to make payroll and banks cannot calculate entire mortgage payments — leaving borrowers without accurate monthly payments, while risking the inability to claim major federal tax deductions on their income taxes,” Fioretti said in a press release. “In 2018, Toni Preckwinkle ran her campaign for re-election highlighting her ability to provide taxpayers with timely tax bills. Now, just four-years later, Cook County property tax bills that should have been issued during the June – July time period, and paid in August, are now projected to be delayed until early 2023.” 

Facing Preckwinkle in the Nov. 8 election, Fioretti strongly demanded accountability from the Democrat. He urged that "As Cook County residents, we must demand accountability from our elected officials and not settle for the status quo. If we want to fix the mounting problems facing our county, we must enact the change required to do so. That change starts with electing new, independent leaders — free from special interests — that enact responsible, common-sense policies, and places Cook County residents first! Cook County deserves better than the failed attempt at leadership by County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. I am Bob Fioretti, and I am asking for your vote on November 8th.”

“Toni Preckwinkle must account for her utter failure on this major issue and take responsibility for her complete lack of leadership,” Fioretti continued. “No more excuses! The late issuance of Cook County resident’s property tax bills demonstrates, yet another failure of, the unaccountable, Toni Preckwinkle! Whether it is a store, factory, bank, hospital, or any other type of operation or business — leadership is required in order to proactively manage unexpected problems or concerns, minor or major. In this particular case, we are dealing with the second largest county in the United States and an $8 billion budget. Now, as a reactive response measure, Toni Preckwinkle is using Cook County taxpayer dollars to bail herself out of a crisis during her re-election — offering $500 million in interest free loans as a stopgap to bridge major countywide shortfalls. Once again, residents, specifically middle-class taxpayers, are left footing the bill, with no return-on-investment, due to the repeated incompetence and failures of entrenched Cook County officials like Toni Preckwinkle.” 

Fioretti is an attorney at Roth Fioretti LLC where he practices complex law. He previously served two terms as alderman in Chicago’s 2nd Ward. He switched parties to run for Cook County President as a Republican, Chicago City Wire earlier reported.

The property tax bill may not be ready until early 2023 despite Preckwinkle’s office’s insistence otherwise. Preckwinkle spokesman Nick Shields told the Chicago Sun-Times that “The president’s office has supported and will continue to support the property tax group with requested resources so they can fulfill their duties to Cook County residents. We remain confident that their commitment to a due date of 2022 will be realized.”

Cook County Assessor candidate Nico Tsatsoulis said "this fiasco is important in that it is a manifestation of how broken the property assessment process is in Cook County.”  

Cook County’s property tax assessment system has been historically gamed for political gain for elite Democrat Party members. Former House Speaker Michael Madigan, who is facing 22 counts of public corruption, was notable for his alliance with former Cook County Democratic Party Chairman and former assessor Joe Berrios, who is also under federal investigation. Through a series of property tax appeals on which Madigan’s firm Madigan & Getzendanner received a percentage of savings said he made $1 million in a good year, according to Illinois Policy.