Berrios firings costing taxpayers
Thursday, Jul 18, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* That half million dollars could pay for a whole lot of services…
County taxpayers are on the hook for the $529,000 to be paid to 11 employees who were fired for unlawful political reasons by Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios after he took office in 2010.
County commissioners approved the payout during Wednesday’s regularly scheduled board meeting. None singled out Berrios for criticism at the meeting, but some said county officeholders need a better understanding of the rules that curb political hiring.
* Background…
Berrios, who doubles as county Democratic chairman, took over as assessor in December 2010. The unabashedly old-school politician fired a slew of employees and brought in his own team, which included his son, his sister and a trusted lawyer from his previous job at the Board of Review.
Asked Tuesday about the case, Berrios said he thought the workers he dismissed held policy positions for which it is permissible to hire, promote and fire for political reasons. “I thought they were all at-will employees,” he said.
A federal court monitor assigned to monitor the assessor’s office as a part of the long-running Shakman case, which bars taking politics into account for most city and county hiring, saw it differently.
The court official, Clifford Meacham, recommended that 11 people be paid between $1,000 to $95,000 as part of an agreement Berrios entered into centering on new hiring, firing and promotion rules and regulations to be overseen by the court.
* Whatever the case, Berrios is now getting tax bills out on time, the first time that’s happened in over three decades, so I’m not sure that this action suggested by the Tribune would be a wise move…
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, county board members: Take the money out of Berrios’ budget. Force him to cut $529,000 in spending. Start with the line item for his $125,000 salary. He might actually have to lay off some workers. Even some named Berrios.
* And here we go again…
The dispute over the county’s anti-nepotism laws surfaced again this week when county Inspector General Patrick Blanchard revealed in a report that county Recorder of Deeds Karen Yarbrough has hired her niece.
Although not named, the Tribune determined she is Chloe Pedersen, who as legal and labor counsel to Yarbrough makes $114,622 a year. That’s more than Yarbrough’s salary, which is $105,000.
Blanchard recommended the niece be fired, but Yarbrough said the inspector general had no authority over her — the same argument Berrios has made. Yarbrough said she hired her niecebecause she had “the best qualifications. . . . I think most people recognize it’s important to have someone you know and trust as your legal counsel.”
Wouldn’t a simple solution be the county board stepping in and declaring who has authority over whom?
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jul 18, 13 @ 1:12 pm:
–None singled out Berrios for criticism at the meeting, but some said county officeholders need a better understanding of the rules that curb political hiring. –
Give me a break. A guy shivs his way through the ongoing knife fight of Cook County politics to grab the assessor’s job and he doesn’t know rules regarding POLITICS!
Don’t try and tell me that’s rain falling on my shoes.
- Amalia - Thursday, Jul 18, 13 @ 1:19 pm:
Berrios….new term for chutzpah.
- Elo Kiddies - Thursday, Jul 18, 13 @ 1:22 pm:
–Wouldn’t a simple solution be the county board stepping in and declaring who has authority over whom–
That’s what the County Board did when they created the IG in the first place. Berrios and now Yarbrough are essentially making a separation of powers argument. It may take a court ruling, or the GA, to clarify the IGs jurisdiction.
- teddy salad - Thursday, Jul 18, 13 @ 1:33 pm:
- county officeholders need a better understanding of the rules that curb political hiring. –
Could be he fired everybody who knew the rules so he could run his little friends and family plan.
It would be interesting to run the names of the people he hired and see what campaigns they paid into.
- bobby - Thursday, Jul 18, 13 @ 2:01 pm:
same old b.s. connect the dots, theyre all connect to a select few. look no further than the cta debacle. change wont happen until certain folk are out of office,until then grin and bear it
- walkinfool - Thursday, Jul 18, 13 @ 2:56 pm:
Hired “at-will” does not mean “political” hires are OK. For Berrios to state that it does, shows the depth of his ignorance. He is “old school” Chicago pol in the worst sense.
He is doing a good job, however. Go figure.
My guess is that Toni, and most of the board, would love to have more authority over this position, but he’s separately elected.
- Hon. John Fritchey - Thursday, Jul 18, 13 @ 3:04 pm:
Rich,
It’s not quite that simple. On one front, you have the argument that since they are separately elected officials that don’t serve under the County Board, we don’t have jurisdiction over them.
On the other front, you have the argument of officeholders such as Dorothy Brown, whose office is a creation of state statute. In fact, her staff has frequently referred to the office as Illinois Clerk of the Court for Cook County.
I could elaborate on both points but it’s hot and I’ve got a bunch to get done. Hope this helps a bit.
- Bigtwich - Thursday, Jul 18, 13 @ 4:16 pm:
The offices State”s Attorney and Circuit Clerk are created by Article VI, The Judiciary, of the Illinois Constitution. While the method of selection of the Circuit Clerk is let to the General Assembly both offices differ from other county offices that are called into existence by Article VII, Local Government. It is confusing all around, just more confusing for the State’s Attorney and Circuit Clerk.
- Chris - Thursday, Jul 18, 13 @ 6:07 pm:
“–Wouldn’t a simple solution be the county board stepping in and declaring who has authority over whom–
That’s what the County Board did when they created the IG in the first place. Berrios and now Yarbrough are essentially making a separation of powers argument. It may take a court ruling, or the GA, to clarify the IGs jurisdiction.”
Bingo.
What I wish would happen is that when an office-holder is found to have made ‘unlawful’ political hiring/firing decisions, that any fines or restitution levied be levied against the office-holder’s political funds.
- MrJM - Thursday, Jul 18, 13 @ 8:00 pm:
Joe Berrios is the one thing that concerns me about Toni Preckwinkle.
– MrJM