Assessor's Office Receives National Achievement Awards for Affordable Housing and Employee Engagement Programs

The Cook County Assessor’s Office (CCAO) has been recognized with two 2024 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo). The awards honor innovative, effective county government programs that strengthen services for residents. 

The CCAO’s Affordable Housing Special Assessment Program (AHSAP) incentivizes the rehabilitation and new construction of multi-family residential properties to create, maintain and preserve affordable housing in Cook County. As the first program of its kind in the country, AHSAP provides a blueprint for other jurisdictions concerned about affordability and housing supply. 

Through the initiative for Strategic Engagement to Encourage Employee Retention and Recruitment, an Engagement Committee was developed to enable employees to engage and connect with colleagues though strategic activities that included learning and development, social activities, and conversations with leadership. Now in its second year, the Committee has hosted over 15 events both virtually and in-person, functioning as a valuable tool for improving workplace culture and morale. 

“I am proud of both of these excellent programs for earning national recognition, as well as showcasing the many departments within the office – from Human Resources to Policy – in which our employees are thinking creatively about the public service they perform,” said Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi. “My deepest congratulations to every employee involved with either initiative.” 

Each year, NACo’s Achievement Awards recognize outstanding programming in 18 categories aligned with the vast, comprehensive services counties provide. The categories include children and youth, criminal justice and public safety, libraries, management, information technology, health, civic engagement and more. Launched in 1970, the program is designed to celebrate innovation in county government. Each nominated program is judged on its own merits and not against other applications. 

“The Achievement Awards recognize excellence in county government and effective public service,” said NACo President Mary Jo McGuire. “This year’s winners have delivered results for our residents and demonstrated innovative efforts to strengthen our communities.”

For more information about the Affordable Housing Special Assessment Program, click here. 

For more information about NACo’s Achievement Awards, click here.