Suburban banker taking on Pappas

A suburban banker turned Republican neophyte aims to capture the Cook County treasurer seat away from a longtime Democratic incumbent, seeking change and a chance to streamline the property tax system for homeowners.

Carol A. Morse of Western Springs is running her first race ever against Democrat Maria Pappas of Chicago. They agree on many things, including the fact that the county and its politics have been disastrous for taxpayers.

This year, property tax bills won't be mailed to taxpayers until well after the November election, a fact Pappas said she warned about when the Cook County Board changed the property assessment process, leading the county assessor and Board of Review to field record numbers of appeals.

“All 483,000 appeals have to be heard, said Pappas. That's more than twice the number of appeals filed a year ago, Pappas said, adding that a double layer of taxpayer appeals first to the assessor and then to the Board of Review needs to end.

“They go back to the assessor and that's six or seven weeks more. We need to cut that out, Pappas said.

The candidates recently discussed improving the treasurer's office procedures and its technology during a Daily Herald editorial board meeting at the paper's office in Arlington Heights.

Morse, a commercial lender with Fifth Third Bank, shrugged off her lack of public service and believes her 25 years in banking provides a solid foundation for the treasurer's office.

“I have better credentials now than she did when she started, Morse later said about Pappas.

Pappas touted the steps she has already taken to reduce the work force from 258 to 121 since coming into office in 1998. Those workers collect property taxes in two installments annually and disburse the funds to about 1,600 taxing agencies around Cook County. Pappas said she's offered taxpayers more convenient options on where they can pay their bills, including online at CookCountytreasurer.com. The site also offers the taxpayer's payment history and is available in 22 languages.

Morse later suggested that she would hire consultants, who could go inside the treasurer's office to examine what exactly needs to be corrected.

“But as an outsider, it's hard to get that information until you can get inside there, she said.

Both candidates believe the size of the office still could be trimmed and the website should be consolidated with other county offices, including the assessor and board of review.

But to update the technology and provide all the necessary elements to taxpayers could cost $45 million and take about six years, Pappas said.

On another topic, Pappas declined to comment on any possible run for mayor of Chicago, saying her focus is on the current election. “That's not appropriate to bring up now, Pappas said.

Mayoral candidates must declare their intentions by Nov. 22, not even three weeks after the Nov. 2 general election.