Cook County Tax Assessment Power Grab

The Chicago Tribune reports:

Cook County Assessor James Houlihan has contributed $190,000 to a candidate running for a seat on the board that reviews the work of Houlihan's office.

If Jay Paul Deratany wins election to the Cook County Board of Review, two of its three commissioners will owe their spots, at least in part, to Houlihan's backing. In 2006, Commissioner Brendan Houlihan, no relation to the assessor, won after getting nearly $72,000 from Houlihan's campaign fund.

In Tuesday's Democratic primary, Deratany is taking on Commissioner Joseph Berrios -- a 20-year incumbent backed by Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, who has clashed with Assessor Houlihan over the form of property tax relief.

The review board hears appeals of property tax assessments made by Houlihan's office. Its decisions can be further appealed to the state Property Tax Appeals Board, whose executive director, Ronald Messina, is a former top aide to James Houlihan. The state board's decisions can be appealed in court.

"What he is trying to do is control the entire assessment process in Cook County," said Berrios, 55, a former state legislator. "I guess he doesn't want whomever to challenge his assessments. ... We're supposed to be an independent board."

Houlihan said he is not trying to increase his power but aims to reform a system he says is slanted toward the commercial property owner.

"Joe [Berrios] is not of a like mind; that is what elections are about," Houlihan said. "I'm trying to elect people who will work on making the system better."

Berrios, the county Democratic chairman and the 31st Ward committeeman, also lobbies in Springfield, where connections to powerful politicians like Madigan are important. Madigan's law firm argues tax assessment appeals in front of Berrios' board.

Deratany, a 45-year-old civil litigator, criticized Berrios for taking campaign contributions from lawyers who argue cases before the board and for what he says is a bias toward lowering assessments for businesses to the detriment of homeowners.

Crook County.