Cook County Board Takes Steps to Approve Ethics Reforms

By Kevin Robinson in News on Sep 14, 2010 4:40PM

In the shadow of Todd Stroger's swan song of hiring and no-bid contracts to friends and family, the Finance Committee of the Cook County Board of Commissioners approved a host of ethics reforms in the county, including barring people that have business before the county from making campaign contributions. The board also took aim at county tax appeals commissioner Joe Berrios, who is running for county assessor. The reforms require candidates for assessor or Board of Review to return campaign contributions that exceed $1,500 from people that are appealing their tax bills. The reforms also bar public officials from conducting political activity while acting in the official capacity of the county, or using county resources.

Berrios, who is facing a challenge from Forrest Claypool in the general election, lashed out at Claypool in a press release, charging that his opponent used the county's finance committee meeting as a campaign press conference. Berrios is promising to issue a press statement "soon" that will address ethics reforms in the assessor's office.