Assessor Fritz’s Kaegi’s reelection pitch

Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi rode into office in 2018 on a platform of reforming a property tax assessment system widely assailed as arbitrary and inequitable. Three years later, he says he’s made strides toward that goal, but critics — including a formidable new political challenger — say he’s only brought chaos and confusion. As Kaegi revs up his reelection campaign, he sat down with Alex Nitkin to preview his pitch to voters: that his new assessment methodology is fairer and more accurate than his predecessor’s, and that most taxpayers will benefit from it — even as some businesses wince at eye-popping tax hikes.