Mike Cabonargi: Candidate profile

Bio

Party: Democrat

City: Wilmette

Office sought: Cook County circuit court clerk

Age: 48

Family: Wife Erin and two sons

Occupation: Chair and commissioner, Cook County Board of Review; formerly, federal prosecutor for U.S. SEC.

Education: J.D. with honors from the University of Illinois College of Law and a B.A. in Political Science and a B.A. in Foreign Affairs from Miami University.

Civic involvement: Cook County Board of Review; aide to Sen. Richard Durbin in 1997; aide to Sen. Paul Simon from 1993-1997.

Elected offices held: Cook County Board of Review Commissioners, 2nd District, since 2011.

Incumbent? If yes, when were first elected: No.

Website: www.MichaelCabonargi.com

Twitter: @Cabonargi4Clerk

Facebook: @CabonargiforClerk

Questions and Answers

1. Why are you running for this office, whether for reelection or election for the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you? If so, what?

I want to bring technology, transparency and talent to the office, while helping make Cook County a more just home. Let's take an office stuck in yesterday, bring it into today and get it ready for tomorrow.

As Chair of the Cook County Board of Review, I lead the country's largest property tax appellate office and I help homeowners pay only their fair share in property taxes and not a penny more. When the chief judge appointed me in 2011, the Board of Review was entirely a paper based system and only in English. The first thing I did was to have the forms translated into Spanish, Polish, Korean and Mandarrin and began a robust outreach program, where my hearing officers and I go into the neighborhoods on nights and weekends and help homeowners file their complaints.

I led the development of the Board's award winning digital appeals processing system on time and on budget that eliminates paper, save money, delivers a better and more transparent product. Now, more than 93% of the appeals filed at the Board are filed online. We've given back to the county nearly all our warehouse space. Meanwhile, the current Clerk of the Courts spent $24 million to build a warehouse in Cicero - to hold paper, now and forever.

In an age of "e-everything," the Clerk of the Circuit Court must ensure everyone's rights are protected.

Moreover, the Clerk of the Circuit Court's Office has been plagued with scandals, investigations and convictions. Public trust and confidence in the courts system are critical to their functioning in society. The Office must promote fair and accessible justice. I will bring in a new era of justice and credibility.

2. If you are an incumbent, describe your main contributions. Tell us of any important initiatives you've led. If you are a challenger, what would you bring to the board and what would your priority be?

I'm the only candidate in the race with experience reforming and transforming a government office. I lead a workforce that previously had people pushing carts and retrained this team into digital scientists. I drafted the first ethics policy for the Cook County Board of Review and implemented comprehensive sexual harassment training. I made the office more open and accessible. I created an award-winning digital appeal review systems - on time and on budget - that replaced paper and offers homeowners a complete and reliable review of their appeals, ultimately saving taxpayer money in employee overtime and document storage. I came out with my reform plan for this office early - and I'm the only person running who has the firsthand experience and knowledge of how to actually deliver on my campaign promises.

I've spent my career rooting out fraud and corruption and professionalizing government offices with both enforced ethical standards and new technology to increase efficiency. For example, prior to my appointment to my current position, I was a senior attorney and prosecutor with the SEC, where I investigated and prosecuted fraud and corruption, including insider trading, offering fraud, pay-to-play, and pyramid/Ponzi schemes, and was proud to win an award for fighting financial fraud that targeted seniors and an award for bringing the largest private offering fraud case filed by the SEC. As Clerk of the Courts, I would bring this same dedication to integrity and credibility and transformational leadership to the Office.

3. Describe your position regarding the allocation of resources in the clerk of the circuit court's office. Are personnel allocated as they should be? Are there capital expense or other budgetary items that the office must address, and, if so, how do you propose to address them?

For too long the allocation of resources in the Clerk of the Circuit Court Office has been mired in corruption and patronage hiring. Public trust and confidence in the courts system are critical to their functioning in society, which is why I am committed to implementing transformative change and enhancing transparency related to how the office hires, retains, and promotes qualified hard workers.

I intend to recruit new talent and ensure it's no longer business as usual in the Circuit Court Clerk's office. On Day One, I will order an independent review of the office to identify waste and ensure taxpayer dollars are being spent efficiently. It's time for a top-down forensic investigation of the work being performed by the office to root out corruption and bad practices and to also recognize and reward talent.

I will also hire a Chief Innovation Officer to identify ways to bring the office into the 21st century, digitize records, and leverage data to determine where the Office should devote resources to better serve the residents of Cook County.

4. Name one concrete program you'll create or personnel move you'll make to improve efficiency in the office or make it more successful. Explain how it will be funded and how you will overcome any obstacles to initiating it.

Integrating new technology into the office should be all-encompassing and on going. The office needs a dedicated Chief Innovation Officer to lead and drive technology development and implementation whenever possible. In an age of "e-everything," the Clerk of the Circuit Court must ensure everyone's rights are protected. Smart, effective business practices must drive technology reform. I will fund this office after doing a full forensic analysis of the budget, staff, and current use of resources to ensure that all taxpayer dollars are being used to maximize the efficiency, transparency, and modernization of the office.

5. Describe your position on transparency in the office and the ease of access to records by the public. If you believe improvements are needed, what are they and how would you go about achieving them?

For far too long the Circuit Court Clerk's office has been a bureaucratic mess and an impediment to justice. As the next Court Clerk, my mission would be to increase access to justice for the residents of Cook County. As part of this mission, I believe we need to pursue digital solutions that will bring the Office into the 21st century while also saving taxpayers millions of dollars.

There's no question we must update and integrate the e-filing system in the Cook County court system - from the Chief Judge to probate courts. This will help ensure that everyone interacting with the Cook County courts will have equal access to justice.

We must also update the Clerk of the Circuit Court's Office's electronic data system to provide online calendar information and to send text or email reminders of court dates, rather than the current system of mailed postcards.

And, perhaps most importantly, we will make the Clerk of the Circuit Court's website more user friendly and interactive and develop a mobile application with answers to common questions and the option for a live chat. We will develop and expand online tutorials and courthouse tours to feature interviews with judges about how to navigate the courtroom, how to prepare for a courthouse visit, and what to expect as a juror.

We will also establish teleconference, video, and electronic court appearances and allow for online dispute resolution, where appropriate.