Picture of the Cook County Board Room and County Commissioners by WGN9

County government has principal responsibility for the protection of persons and property, the provision of public health services and the maintenance of County highways. When you pay your property taxes, or get a traffic ticket and go to court, or go to the Forest Preserves for a picnic, or go to Stroger Hospital after an accident you are using County Services.

Services Cook County Provides:

• Health care for the residents of the County, regardless of ability to pay.
• Courts of law in Chicago and the suburbs in Cook County.
• Representation of persons charged with criminal offense in Cook County, who cannot afford to pay for legal representation.
• Law enforcement in unincorporated areas of Cook County and security in the courts.
• Marriage licenses and vital statistics including birth, death, marriage, divorce and property records.
• Assessment of property values.
• Collection of property taxes.
• Enforcement of zoning and building standards in unincorporated areas of Cook County.
• Preservation of forests and recreational facilities in Chicago and the suburbs of Cook County.
• Oversight of elections in the suburbs of Cook County.
• Determination of disease and cause of death in unusual circumstances.
• Veterans’ assistance.
• Animal control.
• And More!

Assessor, Board of Review Commissioners, County Clerk, Clerk of the Circuit Court, Recorder of Deeds, Sheriff, States Attorney and Treasurer comprise the elected officials in the County, outside of the Board of Commissioners.

About half of the County’s employees are employed by the independently elected county officials or by agencies reporting to the court system. Many functions and services of county government are performed by these elected county officials, over whom the county board has no control except in the passage of their budgets and approval of bond issues, contracts, and special large expenditures.

OTHER COUNTY ELECTED OFFICIALS

Cook County Assessor: Fritz Kaegi Room 320, County Bldg. 118 N. Clark Street Chicago, IL  60602 Phone: (312) 443-7550 Fax: (312) 603-3352  Cook County Board of Review: Michael M. Cabonargi Dan Patlak & Larry Rogers, Jr. Room 601, County Bldg. 118 N. Clark Street Chicago, IL  60602  Clerk of the Circuit Court: Iris Y. Martinez Room 1001, Daley Center 50 W. Washington Chicago, IL  60602 Phone: (312) 603-5030 Fax: (312) 603-4557   Cook County Clerk: Karen A. Yarbrough 5th Floor, 69 W. Washington Chicago, IL  60602 Phone: (312) 603-565

Cook County Recorder of Deeds: Edward M. Moody Room 120, County Bldg. 118 N. Clark Street Chicago, IL  60602 Phone: (312) 603-5050 Fax: (312) 603-5063 Cook County Sheriff: Thomas J. Dart Room 704, Daley Center 50 W. Washington Chicago, IL  60602 Phone: (312) 603-6444 Fax: (312) 603-4420 Cook County State’s Attorney: Kimberly M. Foxx Suite 3200, 69 W. Washington Chicago, IL  60602 Phone: (312) 603-1880 Fax: (312) 603-3000 Cook County Treasurer: Maria Pappas Room 112, County Bldg. 118 N. Clark Street Chicago, IL  60602 Phone: (312) 443-51006