Cook County Board of Review District 3
Personal injury attorney Larry Rogers Jr. has served for 20 years on the Cook County Board of Review, which gives taxpayers an opportunity to appeal their property assessments. Under Rogers, this quasi-judicial office has favored commercial interests over those of homeowners, acting aggressively in recent years to revise the work of Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi and shift more of the tax burden onto residential property.
The board is divided into three districts, and Rogers’ 3rd District encompasses much of Chicago’s West and South sides and most of the south suburbs, where homeowners have been hammered with unaffordable tax increases, made worse by action at the Board of Review.
Rogers is seeking reelection after a bruising primary battle in which Kaegi poured money into the campaign of challenger Larecia Tucker, a clerk in a south suburban assessor’s office. Rogers spent a similar fortune to fend off Tucker and retain his office, drawing on a campaign war chest that includes contributions from property tax attorneys and others who benefit from his role at the Board of Review.
The practice of lawyers giving money to the guy responsible for their tax-appeal cases is legal in Illinois. Rogers defends it, and, when he talked to us, strongly defended his personal integrity, essentially saying the contributions make no difference to his actions. We just as strongly believe the practice is corrupt. It must stop if taxpayers who don’t “pay to play” are ever going to get a fair shake.
Tucker’s candidacy provided an opportunity to end the conflict of interest that Rogers has perpetuated. Tucker pledged she would never accept donations from property tax lawyers, and, having found her to be qualified, this page gladly endorsed her.
In the primary, Rogers handily defeated Tucker, 61% to 39%. Rogers had the backing of powerful local Democrats such as Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.
The voters spoke decisively in favor of Rogers, and, in an Oct. 14 interview, he said his real opponent in that race was Kaegi, arrogantly dismissing Tucker as an unqualified pawn. Someday, Rogers said, he may challenge Kaegi directly for the assessor’s office — and, if he does, he should first demonstrate his self-proclaimed integrity by resigning from his current post overseeing it.
Rogers is abrasive, conflicted and full of himself, but there’s no question he’s also knowledgeable and experienced. He makes a rational case for reducing what he describes as Kaegi’s overassessments of commercial parcels. The assessor fails to adequately consider, for instance, shifting revenues that landlords derive from the properties, he says.
Rogers evidently is blind to the fact that even if he’s correct, which he may be, his willingness to take money from those who benefit from his position undermines it. We find it much more convincing when Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele, a Kaegi ally who has emphasized strong ethics, also encourages the assessor to revise his methods.
The result of this dispute between closely related offices is a dysfunctional impasse. The assessor places higher values on commercial properties, only to see the Board of Review toss out its work and put the greater burden on residences. We’re frustrated, and we wish primary voters had an opportunity to reconsider their support of Rogers in the general election on Nov. 5.
Unfortunately, voters have no practical alternative in this contest. The only candidate on the ballot opposing Rogers is Nico Tsatsoulis, a clueless Libertarian who challenged Kaegi in 2022 for the assessor’s office and lost in a landslide.
He’s still fighting that same battle against Kaegi, saying that if he wasn’t running this year against Rogers, he would be supporting him. Tsatsoulis voices some nonstarter ideas for revamping Cook County’s tax system, and complains about alleged election fraud, while presenting no evidence. He is not a credible candidate: Don’t vote for him.
That leaves no alternative for this powerful position and therefore Larry Rogers is endorsed.
Tribune Editorial Board endorsements for the 2024 general election
Circuit Court Clerk of Cook County
The Circuit Court Clerk of Cook County is responsible for managing documents, handling fines and fees and partnering with the hundreds of judges who hear cases in Chicago and the suburbs. In the Democratic primary, incumbent Iris Martinez lost decisively to challenger Mariyana Spyropoulos, a commissioner at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District who won the party’s support in the race.
This office has been a patronage hub, and Martinez continued that ugly tradition, collecting campaign donations from her staff. Spyropoulos served with distinction at the water district and previously was a prosecutor in the Cook County state’s attorney’s office and attorney in private practice. She made ethics and transparency a central plank of her campaign and won this page’s endorsement in the primary election.
We prefer Spyropoulos over Republican Lupe Aguirre and Libertarian Michael Murphy. We’re confident she knows how to navigate the court system, and we look forward to watching her make the oft-creaky technology work better, and staff the office with high-quality people. Mariyana Spyropoulos is endorsed.
Cook County Clerk
In addition to recording property sales, births, deaths and marriages, the Cook County clerk is Chicagoland’s top election officer, and given the false accusations flying about election fraud, experience would be preferred. Sadly, incumbent Karen Yarbrough passed away April 7, shortly after the primary election in March.
The Democratic Party chose Cook County Commissioner Monica Gordon to run in the Nov. 5 contest to complete Yarbrough’s term, which ends in 2026. She faces Republican Michelle Pennington, a sincere newcomer who promises to bring a practical, results-driven mindset to the post. Also running is Libertarian Chris Laurent, who serves on a Chicago Police District Council and advocates an aggressive approach to updating voter rolls.
Gordon understands how Cook County government operates, given her valuable experience as a commissioner. She recognizes the threat posed by misinformation spread through social media and is well-positioned to fill Yarbrough’s shoes. Monica Gordon is endorsed.
Cook County Commissioner District 1
Ahead of the primary, this page endorsed Chicago Public Schools educator Tara Stamps to fill the vacancy left on the Cook County Board when Brandon Johnson left that post to become Chicago mayor. Stamps was not a natural choice for us: She’s aligned with the self-interested Chicago Teachers Union and has a history of cheerleading for Johnson, the mayor it put in office to do its bidding.
Stamps has, however, shown an independent streak that we admire, and we are counting on her to support property tax relief, a red-hot issue in her district, and to moderate her progressive politics in the interest of serving all of Cook County. She’s a better choice than her Libertarian opponent James Humay
Tara Stamps is endorsed.
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