* Daily Line…
Cook County Democratic Party leaders swept aside an insurgent campaign amid lingering questions about Illinois Supreme Court Justice P. Scott Neville’s property taxes, backing his bid to keep his seat on the high court. […]
A party committee tasked with recommending an endorsement for the Supreme Court chose Neville following a closed session that lasted fewer than 30 minutes. The full party is widely expected to vote on Friday to accept the recommendation, solidifying the party stamp that would give Neville precious caché and campaign resources in next year’s primary.
Neville had been seen as the party’s inevitable choice to fill the seat until a contingent of black leaders including Secretary of State Jesse White, Ald. Emma Mitts (37) and Ald. Pat Dowell (3) rallied around Appellate Judge Nathaniel Howse as an alternative.
And Neville was dealt a setback on Monday, when NBC5 reported that he reaped the benefits of a homeowner property tax exemption for a house where he does not live. The candidate repeatedly said on Thursday that Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi’s office found “no evidence of any wrongdoing.”
* Crain’s…
Justice Neville received ownership of the home from his siblings in a quitclaim deed in 2004 but does not live there. The exemption is worth $726.
Neville told the committee during questioning today that there had been “no irregularities” or evidence of wrongdoing on his part. “I don’t think I can provide any more elaboration than the assessor provided. They have records. They have indicated there’s no evidence of wrongdoing. What else is there to say? If you have some evidence, I’d very much like to see it.”
Scott Smith, a spokesperson for Assessor Fritz Kaegi, said homeowners’ exemption applications from the year 2000 were “destroyed by the assessor’s office” and is unable to say who requested the exemption after Neville’s mother’s death.
“Our electronic records indicate whether a property received a homeowner’s exemption, but they do not reflect the name of the applicant. Therefore, we do not have the name of the person who filed for the exemption on this property in 2000. (Justice Neville’s) name is on the deed so he’s ultimately responsible for repayment of the erroneous exemption and has been in contact with our office about doing so.”
Neville told reporters he’d never asked for the exemption.
* But…
Smith said Neville’s name is on the deed, “so he’s responsible for repayment of the erroneous exemption and has been in contact with our office about doing so.”
* Meanwhile, in the circuit court clerk’s race…
*** UPDATE *** Done…
- Just Me - Friday, Aug 16, 19 @ 12:00 pm:
Lack of Latino representation? What about lack of LGBTQ representation?
- Regular democrat - Friday, Aug 16, 19 @ 12:31 pm:
Someone asked for an exemption but nobody asking who it was. Thats convenient. Its also co venient that the records are gone. Cook county strikes again
- depressed in politics - Friday, Aug 16, 19 @ 12:32 pm:
so those pesky property tax bills received (and paid) by the Justice for at least a decade, identifying him as the owner didn’t provide evidence? I’d be curious about the probate estate for his mom…. who handled that? if he were the executor (which is common in a family with a lawyer), didn’t that tip him off about the undeserved benefit? This is not some Greylord scandal, but it seems like more than a scrivener’s error by a person seeking to be a guardian of our rule of law.
- anon2 - Friday, Aug 16, 19 @ 1:04 pm:
The legislature needs to enact a penalty for claiming more than one homeowner’s exemption. Candiates from both parties do it, and inevitably claim it was some minor oversight. Put some teeth in the law.
- Captain Obvious - Friday, Aug 16, 19 @ 1:15 pm:
$726? Hardly a toilet level violation, and likely unintentional.
- Former Downstater - Friday, Aug 16, 19 @ 1:16 pm:
I believe Jill Rose Quinn is the first openly trans candidate ever slated by the party.
- Rasselas - Friday, Aug 16, 19 @ 1:35 pm:
Did Neville actually deny wrong doing? The article says he can’t provide more elaboration, the assessor has no evidence (the records are destroyed) and asks if anyone else has evidence. None of that is a denial.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Aug 16, 19 @ 1:37 pm:
===Did Neville actually deny wrong doing?===
No. He said prove it. lol
- Clem - Friday, Aug 16, 19 @ 1:52 pm:
Does Neville have to pay back the $726 for every year since 1991? Can his campaign committee pay it? That would be so Illinois.
- James - Friday, Aug 16, 19 @ 2:12 pm:
Michael Cabonargi is a good selection for Circuit Court Clerk. After being elected to the Cook County Board of Review, in 2015, Cabonargi was the primary change agent to establish an entirely paperless filing system for the Board of Review, which receives 400,000 tax assessment appeals every year. With appraisals and other large pieces of evidence now being uploaded as pdf files to the Board’s system, many of the costs and operational difficulties of managing so much paper has been eliminated.
Neither the Cook County Assessor, nor the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board (”PTAB”) have gone paperless or have made announcements that they intend to move in that direction, although PTAB earlier this year started to scan documents, eliminating the need to file documents in triplicate. Still, both offices contain mountains of paper, as does the Circuit Court Clerk.
The Board of Review is now starting its fifth year of being entirely paperless, and it is due to Cabonargi’s initiative. Somehow, he persuaded the Cook County Board to finance this system. The other two elected Board of Review commissioners supported the change, but it was Cabonargi who came up with the idea and spearheaded the effort.
The federal courts are already largely paperless; not so, the Cook County Circuit Court. Although other candidates might be able to accomplish the same thing, Cabonargi has the track record of success to bring this most needed reform to the Circuit Court Clerk’s office.
- Anonymous - Friday, Aug 16, 19 @ 2:30 pm:
I think James comment is missing the advertisement disclosure stating paid for by Friends of Carbonargi.
- CT Resident - Friday, Aug 16, 19 @ 2:46 pm:
@Clem - $726 is this year’s (well 2018’s) - for previous years, it depend on that year’s tax rate multiplied by the EAV Exemption of that year (it’s been increasing from $5,000 in 2004 to $6,000 in 2009, to $ 7,000 in 2012 to the current $10,000 in 2017.
- CT Resident - Friday, Aug 16, 19 @ 2:49 pm:
But the CC Assessor’s Office said they are only limited to collecting back 6(?) years’ worth, though they should be charging the 1.5% monthly interest on top of possible late fees.
- McGuppin - Friday, Aug 16, 19 @ 2:54 pm:
Congrats to all candidates who earned the endorsement from the Cook County Democratic Party. It may not mean what it meant 30 years ago, but it’s a testament to their commitment to Democratic party values.
- Anonymous - Friday, Aug 16, 19 @ 2:54 pm:
Not seeing how the exemption could be an accident
- Rutro - Friday, Aug 16, 19 @ 3:12 pm:
Endorsed by the party is getting close to being not worth the baggage.
- Jibba - Friday, Aug 16, 19 @ 3:12 pm:
“Prove it” is not a response appropriate for a Supreme Court justice.
- johnny - Friday, Aug 16, 19 @ 3:23 pm:
ok, so a man who is said to be smart enough to be on the supreme court never noticed his property tax bill listed a home owners exemption for 15+ years..and when brought to his attention claims he doesn’t know who applied for it and does not raise one concern over who “may” have illegally applied for exemption on a property he owns? you’re now one to sit in judgement of people? if true do we have to question your ability to be on the bench?
- Amalia - Friday, Aug 16, 19 @ 4:19 pm:
complaining about the lack of LGBTQ representation by snarking at Hispanic representation is an indication of the problem for the party.