An embattled candidate for Cook County assessor is starting to play up his Puerto Rican roots.
Democrat Joe Berrios serves on a county panel that hears appeals of property assessments.
His main competitor in the November 2 assessor race is independent Forrest Claypool. Berrios is under fire from Claypool for taking campaign cash from tax attorneys who’ve won breaks from the appeals panel.
BERRIOS: I’m from a minority community.
Berrios debated Claypool Wednesday.
BERRIOS: There’s no way that Joe Berrios would ever be able to fund a campaign just within my own community. I reach out to people and, if anyone thinks that Joe Berrios is going to be bought by a contribution, it’s ridiculous.
The assessor sets the value of nearly every parcel in Cook County to help determine property taxes.