Cook County Assessor’s Office Releases Update on 100 Day Reform Plan

Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi released an update today on his 100 Day Plan to bring ethics, fairness and transparency into the operations of the Cook County Assessor’s Office (CCAO).

“We made promises during the campaign that we would start reforming this office on day one,” said Assessor Kaegi. “We’ve kept that promise and took immediate action. This report is part of our effort to be fully transparent with taxpayers about our work.”

After reaching the halfway mark of the first 100 days of his administration, Assessor Kaegi and the leadership team of the CCAO have made significant changes in every department. The CCAO’s 100 Day Plan was created to prioritize Assessor Kaegi’s promises of reform and ensure the continuity of service for taxpayers and property owners.

“The work of the assessor’s office impacts the homes and neighborhoods of the people of Cook County,” said Assessor Kaegi. “It affects where they live and how they live. Few things are more important. We want people to know that that the work of restoring fairness to this office will continue in the months and years to come.”

Highlights of the changes made in the first 50 days include:       

• An audit by the International Association of Assessing Officers to identify ways the CCAO can adopt best practices in assessment methodologies and operations
• The adoption of a new ethics order, including the public posting of a visitors log which will provide transparency about meetings held by executive leadership
• The relaunch of social media channels on Facebook and Twitter to provide easier communication with the public
• Creating an extra oversight and approval layer for Certificates of Corrections and assessor review
• The release of the 2019 tax calendar, created with the Cook County Board of Review
• Improvements in quality control of valuation data processes

The full report can be viewed on the Medium blogging platform bit.ly/AssessorCook50Days or via the CCAO’s Facebook (facebook.com/CookCountyAssessorsOffice/) or Twitter (twitter.com/@AssessorCook) pages.