Cook County Treasurer

Cook County Treasurer
Incumbent
Maria Pappas
since December 1998
Term length4 years
Inaugural holderArchibald Clybourn
Formation1831

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.[1] The treasurer also, per state law, oversees the process of refunding overpayment of taxes.[1]

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

Treasurer Term in office Party Notes Cite
Archibald Clybourn 1831–1834 [2]
Isaac Harmon March 1834–1835 [2]
Henry Kimball 1835–1836 The first elected Treasurer [2]
Samuel J. Trowbridge March 1836–June 1837 [2]
Edward E. Hunter June 1837–May 1838 [2]
John Calhoun May 1838–June 1839 [2]
Nathan H. Bolles June 1839–October 1839 [2]
Isaac Cook October 1839–August 1843 [2]
Anton Getzler August 1843–August 1847 [2]
William L. Church August 1847–November 1849 [2]
James Long November 1849–November 1851 [2]
Horatio N. Heald 1851–1855 [2]
Michael Gleason 1855–1857 [2]
Augustus H. Boyden 1857–1861 [2]
Jacob Rehm 1861–1865 [2]
Jesse M. Allen 1865–1867 [2]
Thomas O. Osborne 1867–1869 [2]
H.S. Rexford 1869–1871 [2]
Julian Sidney Rumsey 1871–1873 Republican [2]
Henry B. Miller 1873–1875 [2]
Louis C. Huck 1875–1877 [2]
S.H. McCrea 1877–1879 [2]
William T. Johnson 1879–1882 [2]
William C. Seipp 1882–1886 Democratic [2]
[2]
[2]
[2]
[2]
[2]
[2]
[2]
John R. Thompson ____–1910 Republican [5]
W. L. O'Connell 1910–____ Democratic [6][7]
H. R. Gibbons December 1918–April 19, 1921 Democratic Elected in 1918; died in office [8]
Patrick J. Carr April 20, 1921–____ Appointed by Cook County Board of Commissioners on April 20, 1921 [8]
George F. Harding Jr. 1926–30 [9]
Joseph McDonough 1930–1934 Elected in 1930; died in office [10][11]
Robert Sweitzer December 4, 1934–1935 Democratic Elected in 1934, removed from office by vote of the Cook County Board of Commissioners in 1935 [12]
Joseph L. Gill 1935–??? Democratic Appointed in 1935
Herbert C. Paschen 1954–1958 Democratic [13]
Francis S. Lorenz 1958–September 1961 Democratic Elected in 1958; resigned to accept appointment as Illinois Treasurer [14][15][16]
Bernard J. Korzen [17]
Edward J. Rosewell December 1974–December 1998 Democratic Elected in 1974, 1988, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994 [18]
Maria Pappas December 1998–present Democratic Elected in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2019, 2014, 2018, 2022

Recent election results

Cook County Treasurer general elections
Year Winning candidate Party Vote (pct) Opponent Party Vote (pct) Opponent Party Vote (pct) Opponent Party Vote (pct)
1986[19] Edward J. Rosewell Democratic 905,190 (68.78%) Richard M. Hetzer Republican 410,909 (31.22%)
1990[20] Edward J. Roswell Democratic 710,699 (58.03%) Thomas D. Eilers Republican 357,673 (29.21%) Charles W. Alexander Harold Washington Party 156,294 (12.76%)
1994 Edward J. Roswell Democratic Jean Reyes Pechette Republican Robert J. Pettis Harold Washington Party John Justice Populist
1998[21] Maria Pappas Democratic 978,373 (77.79%) Anthony Peraica Republican 279,355 (22.21%)
2002[22][23] Maria Pappas Democratic 998,480 (76.20%) Richard J. Daniels Republican 311,787 (23.80%)
2006[24] Maria Pappas Democratic 1,074,756 (83.70%) Erik Peck Republican 209,253 (16.30%)
2010[25] Maria Pappas Democratic 1,042,318 (77.21%) Carol A. Morse Republican 307,612 (22.79%)
2014[26] Maria Pappas Democratic 1,048,234 (100%)
2018[27] Maria Pappas Democratic 1,447,145 (99.26%) Others Write-ins 10,780 (0.74%)
2022[28] Maria Pappas Democratic 1,063,160 (75.41%) Peter Kopsaftis Republican 314,013 (22.28%) Michael Murphy Libertarian 32,577 (2.31%)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Cook County Treasurer's Office - Chicago, Illinois". www.cookcountytreasurer.com. Cook County Treasurer. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af History of Cook County, Illinois: From the Earliest Period to the Present Time. A.T. Andreas. 1884. p. 352.
  3. ^ "Cook County board members vote to increase their own pay". Illinois Policy. June 3, 2022. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  4. ^ Cook County Treasurer's Office (October 25, 2021). "Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas - State of the Office 2022" (PDF). cookcountyil.gov. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  5. ^ Chicago Daily News National Almanac for 1910. Chicago Daily News. 1909. p. 459. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  6. ^ Chicago Daily News National Almanac for 1911. Chicago Daily News. p. 468. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  7. ^ "PARTY LEADERS". Chicago Eagle. August 7, 1915. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  8. ^ a b "County Treasurer Dead New Man Is Appointed". Newspapers.com. Forest Park Review (Forest Park, Illinois). April 23, 1921. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  9. ^ "Essay about George F. Harding, Jr". archive.artic.edu. Art Institute of Chicago. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
  10. ^ Harper, Dan. "Subject and Course Guides: Daley Family Collections: About Richard J. Daley". researchguides.uic.edu. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  11. ^ "Bridgport: Politics". lockzero.org.uic.edu. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  12. ^ "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. April 7, 1938. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  13. ^ "Our Campaigns - Candidate - Herbert C. Paschen". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  14. ^ "Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois on December 1, 1958 · 23". Newspapers.com. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  15. ^ 'Illinois Blue Book 1961-1962,' Biographical Sketch of Francis S. Lorenz, pg. 106-107
  16. ^ '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
  17. ^ "Illinois blue book, 1973-1974". www.idaillinois.org. State of Illinois. p. 542.
  18. ^ O'Connor, Matt (November 26, 1998). "ROSEWELL MAKES DEAL IN GHOST-JOBS PROBE". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  19. ^ "OFFICIAL FINAL RESULTS GENERAL ELECTION COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1986" (PDF). voterinfo.net. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 3, 2008.
  20. ^ "OFFICIAL FINAL RESULTS GENERAL ELECTION COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1990" (PDF). voterinfo.net. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 3, 2008.
  21. ^ "OFFICIAL FINAL RESULTS GENERAL ELECTION COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1998" (PDF). results.cookcountyclerkil.gov.
  22. ^ "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." (PDF). Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  23. ^ "SUBURBAN COOK COUNTY RESULTS". voterinfonet.com. Cook County Clerk. Archived from the original on February 9, 2005.
  24. ^ "Cook County and the City of Chicago Combined Summary Report November 2006 General Election Tuesday, November 7th, 2006" (PDF). Cook County Clerk's Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 22, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  25. ^ "Cook County General Election November 2, 2010 Combined Summary Report" (PDF). Cook County Clerk's Office. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  26. ^ "General Election Cook County and The City of Chicago Tuesday, November 4, 2014 Combined Summary" (PDF). Cook County Clerk's Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 28, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  27. ^ "Cook County and The City of Chicago General Election November 6, 2018 Combined Summary" (PDF). Cook County Clerk's Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 8, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  28. ^ "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" (PDF). www.cookcountyclerkil.gov. Cook County Clerk. 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2022.