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MARIA PAPPAS
COOK COUNTY TREASURER
MARIA PAPPAS
COOK COUNTY TREASURER
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Michael Puccinelli
Director of Media & Public Relations • Communications
312.603.3211
mpuccinelli@cookcountytreasurer.com
Erika Maldonado
Hispanic Liaison
312.603.5057
emaldonado@cookcountytreasurer.com
Office of Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas
118 North Clark Street, Room 212
Chicago, Illinois 60602
312.603.6202
news@cookcountytreasurer.com
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Estudio de Pappas: Como unos Pocos Votantes Controlan el Destino de Mas de Mil Millones de Dolares en Nuevo Gasto
Cook County Treasurer's Office - 3/12/2024

En esta temporada electoral, los votantes de todo el Condado Cook decidirán si reparan escuelas, mejoran una playa frente al lago, cierran un departamento de bomberos u otorgan a los políticos locales nuevos poderes para imponer impuestos.

Si la historia sirve de guía, sólo una fracción del electorado decidirá los resultados de esos temas claves, conocidos como referendos.

En promedio menos de uno de cada tres votantes inscritos decidió el destino de 75 referendos relacionados con impuestos a la propiedad entre 2020 y 2023 en el Condado Cook, según encontró un análisis de la oficina de la Tesorera Maria Pappas.

De hecho, la participación ha sido tan pobre que el destino de casi la mitad de esos referendos lo decidió menos del 25% de todos los votantes.

"Los electores tienen el poder de tomar estas decisiones clave, pero la mayoría no se molesta en votar", dijo Pappas. "Y cuando les suben los impuestos, son los primeros en quejarse".

Cuando los electores se quedan en casa, permiten que un pequeño grupo de votantes motivados tome las decisiones que afectan sus billeteras.

El análisis, titulado "Los Pocos Deciden por los Muchos", encontró que siete de cada 10 referendos fueron aprobadas, la mayoría de los electores votó en menos del 10% de los aprobados. Esos referendos permitieron al gobierno crear 1.160 millones de dólares en nueva deuda y aumentar el techo de los impuestos a la propiedad en más de 59 millones de dólares.

El análisis también muestra cómo uno o dos votos, en medio de una baja participación, determinan los resultados de las preguntas electorales críticas:

  • En Hometown, suburbio al sur del Condado, la decisión de otorgar a los funcionarios autoridad de autonomía o ‘home rule’, que incluye poderes impositivos adicionales, se aprobó por dos votos, 381-379. Sólo el 27% del electorado de la ciudad votó en junio de 2022.
  • En University Park, un referendo para crear un distrito de parques fracasó con un empate de 815 a 815, y menos del 22% de los votantes inscritos decidieron el resultado en noviembre de 2022.
  • En Stone Park, eliminaron el departamento de bomberos por 182 votos a favor y 145 en contra. Sólo el 21% de los votantes inscritos participó en las elecciones de marzo de 2020.

“Insto a los electores a que salgan a votar, y también a que no se salten las preguntas del referéndum, que están más abajo en la boleta electoral, para que estos temas puedan realmente determinarse por una mayoría y no por unos pocos”, dijo Pappas.

COOK COUNTY TREASURER'S OFFICE
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Understanding Your Tax Bill
Get a Copy of Your Tax Bill
About Your Property Index Number (PIN)
Update Your Name or Mailing Address
Monitoring Your Mortgage
Taxing Districts' Financial Statements and Disclosures
Receive Your Tax Bill By Email
Sign In to Your Electronic Billing Account
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Maria Pappas, Cook County Treasurer's Biography
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Freedom of Information Requests
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News and Press Videos
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