Cook County Treasurer Explained

Post:Cook County Treasurer
Insigniasize:150px
Incumbent:Maria Pappas
Incumbentsince:December 1998
Termlength:4 years
Formation:1831
Inaugural:Archibald Clybourn

The Cook County Treasurer is the treasurer of county government in Cook County, Illinois

Office description

The Cook County Treasurer oversees what is the United States' second-largest system of property tax collection and distribution.[1] The office was established in 1831, and since 1835 has been an elected, partisan position. The inaugural holder of the office of treasurer was Archibald Clybourn, an early settler of Cook County.[2]

The treasurer holds responsibility for printing and mailing bills based on data they are provided by other county and state agencies regarding assessments, exemptions, and tax rate.[1]

The treasurer is responsible for the collection of $12 billion in taxes annually from owners of over 1.8 million parcels of property.[1]

The treasurer is responsible for the distribution of tax funds to approximately 2,200 local government agencies with the jurisdiction to collect taxes, including school districts, municipalities, townships, park systems, forest preserve systems, libraries, public health and safety agencies, election authorities, economic-development agencies, and public-works bonds.[1]

The treasurer needs to maintain an investment policy and strategy.[1]

The treasurer is tasked with receiving and safely keeping revenues and other public funds of the county, and all other money authorized by the law to be paid to them, and to disburse these funds in accordance to the law.[1]

Under state law, to assist them with the execution of their duties, the treasurer appoints deputies, assistants, and personnel.[1] The treasurer must file regular reports with the president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners providing summary of the financial status of their office. The treasurer also, per state law, oversees the process of refunding overpayment of taxes.

As of 2022, the salary paid to the elected Cook County Treasurer is $115,500.[3] As of October 2021, the Cook County Treasurer's office has 58 employees and a total annual budget of $12,703,015.[4]

Officeholders

TreasurerTerm in officePartyNotesCite
Archibald Clybourn1831 - 1834
Isaac HarmonMarch 1834 - 1835
Henry Kimball1835 - 1836First elected Treasurer
Samuel J. TrowbridgeMarch 1836 - June 1837
Edward E. HunterJune 1837 - May 1838
John CalhounMay 1838 - June 1839
Nathan H. BollesJune 1839 - October 1839
Isaac CookOctober 1839 - August 1843
Anton GetzlerAugust 1843 - August 1847
William L. ChurchAugust 1847 - November 1849
James LongNovember 1849 - November 1851
Horatio N. Heald1851 - 1855
Michael Gleason1855 - 1857
Augustus H. Boyden1857 - 1861
Jacob Rehm1861 - 1865
Jesse M. Allen1865 - 1867
Thomas O. Osborne1867 - 1869
H.S. Rexford1869 - 1871
Julian S. Rumsey1871 - 1873Republican
Henry B. Miller1873 - 1875
Louis C. Huck1875 - 1877
S.H. McCrea1877 - 1879
William T. Johnson1879 - 1882
William C. Seipp1882 - 1886Democratic
John R. Thompson____–1910Republican[5]
W. L. O'Connell1910–____Democratic[6] [7]
H. R. GibbonsDecember 1918–April 19, 1921DemocraticElected in 1918; died in office[8]
Patrick J. CarrApril 20, 1921–____Appointed by Cook County Board of Commissioners on April 20, 1921
George F. Harding
Joseph McDonough1930–1934Elected in 1930; died in office[9] [10]
Robert SweitzerDecember 4, 1934–1935DemocraticElected in 1934, removed from office by vote of the Cook County Board of Commissioners in 1935[11]
Joseph L. Gill1935–???DemocraticAppointed in 1935
Herbert C. Paschen1954–1958Democratic[12]
Francis S. Lorenz1958–September 1961Democratic[13] [14] [15]
Bernard J. Korzen[16]
Edward J. RosewellDecember 1974–December 1998DemocraticElected in 1974, 1988, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994[17]
Maria PappasDecember 1998–presentDemocraticElected in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2019, 2014, 2018, 2022

Recent election results

|-| colspan=16 style="text-align:center;" |Cook County Treasurer general elections|-!Year!Winning candidate!Party!Vote (pct)!Opponent!Party! Vote (pct)!Opponent!Party! Vote (pct)!Opponent!Party! Vote (pct)|-|1986[18] | | Edward J. Rosewell| | Democratic| | 905,190 (68.78%)| | Richard M. Hetzer| | Republican| | 410,909 (31.22%)| | | | | | |-|1990[19] | | Edward J. Roswell| | Democratic| | 710,699 (58.03%)| | Thomas D. Eilers| | Republican| | 357,673 (29.21%)|Text style="background:#D2B48C | Charles W. Alexander|Text style="background:#D2B48C | Harold Washington Party|Text style="background:#D2B48C | 156,294 (12.76%)| | | |-|1994| | Edward J. Roswell| | Democratic| | | | Jean Reyes Pechette| | Republican| | |Text style="background:#D2B48C | Robert J. Pettis|Text style="background:#D2B48C | Harold Washington Party|Text style="background:#D2B48C | | John Justice| Populist| |-|1998[20] | | Maria Pappas| | Democratic| | 978,373 (77.79%)| | Anthony Peraica| | Republican| | 279,355 (22.21%)| | | | | | |-|2002[21] [22] | | Maria Pappas| | Democratic| | 998,480 (76.20%)| | Richard J. Daniels| | Republican| | 311,787 (23.80%)| | | | | | |-|2006[23] | | Maria Pappas| | Democratic| | 1,074,756 (83.70%)| | Erik Peck| | Republican| | 209,253 (16.30%)| | | | | | |-|2010[24] | | Maria Pappas| | Democratic| | 1,042,318 (77.21%)| | Carol A. Morse| | Republican| | 307,612 (22.79%)| | || | | |-|2014[25] | | Maria Pappas| | Democratic| | 1,048,234 (100%)| | | | | | | | | |-|2018[26] | | Maria Pappas| | Democratic| | 1,447,145 (99.26%)| Others| Write-ins| 10,780 (0.74%)| | | | | | |-|2022[27] | |Maria Pappas| | Democratic| |1,063,160 (75.41%)| | Peter Kopsaftis| | Republican| | 314,013 (22.28%)| | Michael Murphy| | Libertarian| | 32,577 (2.31%)| | |

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Cook County Treasurer's Office - Chicago, Illinois . www.cookcountytreasurer.com . Cook County Treasurer . 5 November 2020.
  2. Book: History of Cook County, Illinois: From the Earliest Period to the Present Time . 1884 . A.T. Andreas . 352 . en.
  3. Web site: 2022-06-03 . Cook County board members vote to increase their own pay . 2023-06-12 . Illinois Policy.
  4. Web site: Cook County Treasurer's Office . October 25, 2021 . Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas - State of the Office 2022 . 2023-06-12 . cookcountyil.gov.
  5. Book: Chicago Daily News National Almanac for 1910 . 1909 . Chicago Daily News . 459 . 11 November 2020 . en.
  6. Book: Chicago Daily News National Almanac for 1911 . Chicago Daily News . 468 . 11 November 2020 . en.
  7. News: PARTY LEADERS . 11 November 2020 . Chicago Eagle . 7 August 1915.
  8. Web site: County Treasurer Dead New Man Is Appointed . Newspapers.com . Forest Park Review (Forest Park, Illinois) . 7 August 2021 . en . subscription . 23 Apr 1921.
  9. Web site: Harper . Dan . Subject and Course Guides: Daley Family Collections: About Richard J. Daley . researchguides.uic.edu . 11 November 2020 . en.
  10. Web site: Bridgport: Politics . lockzero.org.uic.edu . 11 November 2020.
  11. Web site: ROBERT SWEITZER, CHICAGO POLITICIAN; Democratic Leader There for Quarter of a Century Is Dead at 69 COUNTY CLERK 24 YEARS Elected Treasurer in 1934—Began Career as Salesman After Leaving College . The New York Times . March 15, 2020 . April 7, 1938.
  12. Web site: Our Campaigns - Candidate - Herbert C. Paschen . www.ourcampaigns.com . 21 December 2020.
  13. Web site: Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois on December 1, 1958 · 23 . Newspapers.com . 21 December 2020 . en.
  14. 'Illinois Blue Book 1961-1962,' Biographical Sketch of Francis S. Lorenz, pg. 106-107
  15. 'Retired Illinois appeals Judge Francis S. Lorenz dies at age 93-Public service career includes Chicago city lawyer, Cook County treasurer and state transportation chief,' Chicago Tribune, Mary Owens, July 2, 2008
  16. Web site: Illinois blue book, 1973-1974 . www.idaillinois.org . State of Illinois . 542 . en.
  17. Web site: O'Connor . Matt . ROSEWELL MAKES DEAL IN GHOST-JOBS PROBE . chicagotribune.com . Chicago Tribune . 13 October 2020 . 26 November 1998.
  18. Web site: OFFICIAL FINAL RESULTS GENERAL ELECTION COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1986 . voterinfo.net . https://web.archive.org/web/20081003205005/http://www.voterinfonet.com/results/archive/1986NovCombinedSummary.pdf . 3 October 2008.
  19. Web site: OFFICIAL FINAL RESULTS GENERAL ELECTION COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1990 . voterinfo.net . https://web.archive.org/web/20081003205145/http://www.voterinfonet.com/results/archive/1990NovCombinedSummary.pdf . 3 October 2008.
  20. Web site: OFFICIAL FINAL RESULTS GENERAL ELECTION COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1998 . results.cookcountyclerkil.gov .
  21. Web site: TABULATED STATEMENT OF THE RETURNS AND PROCLAMATION OF THE RESULTS OF THE CANVASS OF THE ELECTION RETURNS FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION HELD IN EACH OF THE PRECINCTS IN ALL THE WARDS IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2002 A.D. . Chicago Board of Election Commissioners . 18 June 2020.
  22. Web site: SUBURBAN COOK COUNTY RESULTS . voterinfonet.com . Cook County Clerk . https://web.archive.org/web/20050209124209/http://www.voterinfonet.com/results/11502results/ . 9 February 2005 . dead.
  23. Web site: Cook County and the City of Chicago Combined Summary Report November 2006 General Election Tuesday, November 7th, 2006 . Cook County Clerk's Office . 16 March 2020 . September 22, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210922154748/https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/sites/default/files/2006NovemberCombinedSUMMARY.pdf . dead .
  24. Web site: Cook County General Election November 2, 2010 Combined Summary Report . Cook County Clerk's Office . 16 March 2020.
  25. Web site: General Election Cook County and The City of Chicago Tuesday, November 4, 2014 Combined Summary . Cook County Clerk's Office . 16 March 2020 . January 28, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220128082518/https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/sites/default/files/CombinedSummaryReport110414%20(1).pdf . dead .
  26. Web site: Cook County and The City of Chicago General Election November 6, 2018 Combined Summary . March 9, 2020 . Cook County Clerk's Office . July 8, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210708233020/https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/sites/default/files/CombinedSummary.pdf . dead .
  27. Web site: Tabulated Statement of the Returns and Proclamation of the Results of the Canvass of the Election Returns for the November 8, 2022 Gubernatorial General Election Held in Each of the Precincts in Cook County, Illinois Including the City of Chicago . www.cookcountyclerkil.gov . Cook County Clerk . 6 December 2022 . 2022.