>> Cook County has a new assessor, Democrat Pat Hines won handedly in Tuesday's contest beating out Libertarian candidate Nicos that Solis.

The office is tasked with delivering accurate and transparent assessments of all resideial and commercial properties.

Heinz calls the system broken and mismanaged and vows to fix it.

Joining us now with more on how he plans to do that is Pat Hines, Cook County Assessor Elect.

Congrats, thank you for joining us.

Thank you for having so you bring with you yourself.

5 years of experience as the Lions Township assessor.

What are the lessons and knowledge that you bring with you from from that position to this new one?

Well, at head, thousands of tax payer interactions and understanding of what's what's been driving the tax payer crazy about how are.

>> Executing a property tax here in Cook County.

And so I have an understanding that each one of these numbers that we come up with each one of these assessments has a human on the other end that, you know, this is the most personal asset that most people wrapped around their home and people expect.

And does deserve stable, predictable property taxes so they can make plans so that they can absorb that property tax burden that we're asking them to bear Cook County's little bit bigger.

The lines Township.

What do you think you'll need to do differently in this role to effectively manage the difference in size in the political system as well.

>> I was at the county assessor's office for 20 some years before I went out to the lines Township ssor's office.

So I am familiar with the county assessor's office and I think that a change in how we're going to do the assessments.

I like to joke that we're gonna make the county assessor's office boring.

We're just gonna go back to our generally accepted appraisal principles.

We're going to follow the market and for the most part, with rare exception, the underlying market value of property moves at a steady, slow, boring pace.

And the assessments should move at a steady, slow, boring pace.

And so we're gonna be students of the market and we're going to reflect the market to saying folks shouldn't be seeing massive jumps in there and they're assessed value unless they've had wild appreciation and their value, which is really rare.

No, they should not have to.

If they didn't enjoy a giant swing in the market value, then they shouldn't have to suffer a giant swing in their assessed value.

>> Once installed formally, what will be your main immediate priorities?

>> Well, in the beginning, we're going to have to complete the outgoing assessors, 8th assessment.

So so that won't be completed will finish that.

And then there's a backlog of certificates of air and we would like to 0 out and then we have to turn around and assess the city of Chicago, which is the largest of the 3 trials that we have to do.

So we do a lot of preparation and planning to make sure that we hit the ground running because we want those tax bills to be out on time.

That's that's an incredible waste of taxpayer money.

When we get relate with the tax bill.

So we want to make sure that we're efficient, that we're on a well run office.

Therre dynamic in answering our tax payers problems, but but that we're also able to complete our work on time on the subject of those of those tardy tax bills.

Where do you see the?

Because we've heard from multiple different offices that all have a role.

>> In, you assessing collecting all of that is sending out the Bills, Cook County's taxes.

Where do you see the breakdown in efficiency where those bills are always going out late?

Yeah.

Well, what worth foundation, Ali, the first in our duties.

So when we're late, then we back everyone outside.

So >> our job should be done by Thanksgiving.

And when we're late, then we're either asking other agencies that follow us to to hustle up get their work done a little quicker than they probably should or well, you know, we should be responsible for for having the tax will be light.

So we're going to we're going to be laser focused making sure that we get our work done by Thanksgiving so that we can hand it off to the next agency that takes it so that the system can be on time.

>> When you visit just after winning your primary, we talked about need to correct the error rate for property tax assessments.

How do you plan to get that started?

What does that look like?

What we're going to best since a little more human capital to be out in the field to actually gather some of the data.

So, you know, you fundamentally you have to have a very good grasp on the built environment that you assessing.

So if you think about every time a hammer swings or shovel goes on the ground in this county, it's the county assessor's duty to capture all that change and add those properties to the tax rolls.

And we have to do that work every year.

So doing The hard work and the tenacity that it takes to get that work done to make sure that we're keeping up with the change that happens every year in this county.

As mentioned, you've called out your predecessor for its K king for his office's lack of accessibility and accountability.

How do you plan on ensuring that your office is accessible and accountable?

>> What we plan on investing in the folks that work there.

And so I'm very excited that that some of the talent that we've been able to attract to the office and some of the education that we're going to offer to our frontline employees.

And so, you know, empowering your employees to be able to answer a tax payer issue.

The first time really makes it more efficient.

So you don't have to have a tax payer calling over and over are working for years to try and resolve the problem.

So being a little more efficient, we'll go a long way cutting down on some of the wasteful effort that we have.

>> The assessor's office is part of a greater system.

As I mentioned, you will be working closely with the Board of Review, the Illinois Department of Review, the Cook County clerk and the Cook County Treasurer.

plan on building relationships with those other offices.

Well, by treating them with respect and dignity and approaching them as a professional.

And so, you know, we are foundation, Ali, the first part of the assessment system.

But we are not the only part of the assessment system.

So it's important that we produce a credible assessment that we can defend and that we can hand it to partner agencies.

And if they have questions that we can.

Give them the information that they need so they can do their job.

But foundation Ali, the better that we do in producing the assessment.

Let's work.

It is for those that follow us this time.

Last year, homeowners are contending with late as we've discussed and higher than usual property tax bills.

>> Treasurer's office has said declining values for downtown commercial properties.

Shifting the tax burden on to homeowners.

KD argue that the property tax system favors corporations and that that needs to change.

Do you agree with that assessment what can your office to to decrease that forget it was an oversimplification of the story.

If you look at the Central Business district in Chicago, 2 thirds of it are tied up in a tiff district.

And so those TIF districts really absorb wild swings in value.

So, you know, just because a central business Office District Office building loses value does not necessarily translate.

And a one for one shift those tech that expert and out to the neighborhoods now the TIF collecting a little less money that otherwise would.

it was an oversimplification how our system works and the one thing that I'm most excited about is that lever that we have influence on us.

The assessor creating an environment where we can attract capital and equity to come to our region and start building.

So I'm very excited that we're going to open up the Office of Economic Development to give a little bit of clarity to those who invest in our county and get people building again because the easiest way to lower the property tax rate in the property tax burden everyone as they have more buildings that are here in Cook County to share the burden to help do that lifting.

So, you know, we have a shortage of housing in this county.

We had runaway inflation and rent and those that supply and demand in balance.

And those can be solved by building.

And so I'm very excited trying to attract investment back to our county and to get people building All