Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios "praised county Treasurer Maria Pappas, who at one point this summer shifted all 110 of her employees to helping Berrios & Co. prepare appeals files for adjudication by the Board of Review. Before that, Houlihan adds, Pappas also had loaned workers to help his staff accelerate its workflow. Good for her. We've argued for years that many more county employees should be cross-trained so that during slow stretches (talking to you, Recorder Gene Moore), they could assist other, overloaded offices. Happens in the private sector all the time."

"The money line: Pappas told us Thursday that, if Berrios' board delivers as he projects, 'I believe bills will be sent out before the election.' That's big. Pappas mails the bills and wants them out asap."

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