Democratic candidates for Cook County Assessor are already sparring ahead of next year’s election. That office sets property values that figure into tax bills.
Kicking off his campaign for assessor Thursday is former tax review board member and alderman, Robert Shaw. He quickly accused another candidate, current tax review board member Joe Berrios, of favoring insiders.
SHAW: The big hotshot lawyers the ones who got the tax breaks.
Through a spokesman, Berrios dismissed Shaw’s attack, warning, “People who live in glass houses shouldn’t be throwing stones.”
The two candidates also argued about an unrelated topic: video poker. Shaw called on Berrios to resign as a lobbyist for the industry.
SHAW: My opponent, we call him the video king. The poker king.
Berrios defends video gaming as a way to raise money without hitting taxpayers. The slated Republican candidate is Evanston Township Assessor Sharon Eckersall.