The Cook County Assessor’s Office (CCAO) announced that it has certified and will publish all 2016 property assessment values nearly a week ahead of schedule – saving local units of government millions of dollars. That benefit to taxpayers remains a firm commitment of Assessor Joseph Berrios. Under Assessor Berrios, property tax bills have been issued on time for five straight years after having been late under previous assessors for 34 consecutive years. On-time billing consistently eliminates the decades-long pattern of borrowing when municipalities and other taxing bodies have to wait for revenue they are entitled to. Not borrowing saves tens of millions of dollars in interest on such loans. Since Assessor Berrios took office, CCAO has refined and improved the assessment process; it has cut the assessment cycle by 5 months, including seven more days this year. The timely completion of the 2016 assessment, which included the reassessment of North and Northwest Suburban Cook County, is a result of this improved process. Said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle in a 2015 interview, “You know, I think Joe has done a great job as Assessor. He’s worked very closely with the President’s Office to modernize that [CCAO] office and…to get the tax bills out on time. This is not a small thing. If we don’t…get the money back on time, local units of government have to…borrow money in order to make their payroll.”