Illinois FOIA & OMA Reference: Cook County Board of Review https://illinoisfoia.org/public-bodies/cook-county-board-of-review/ 2024-10-22T00:00:00Z Cook County Board of Review violated OMA by hiring general counsel without public vote https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-77643/ 2024-10-22T00:00:00Z A citizen complained that the Cook County Board of Review hired a new General Counsel without holding a public meeting or vote. The Attorney General's office agreed, finding that the Board reached a hiring decision privately rather than in an open, public session as required by law. The Board has been asked to fix this by holding a public vote to officially ratify the appointment. Cook County Board of Review did not violate OMA at budget hearing https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-77468/ 2023-10-06T00:00:00Z A citizen complained that members of the Cook County Board of Review met improperly during a budget hearing. The Attorney General's office reviewed the video of the meeting and found no evidence that the Board members held a private discussion or deliberation. Therefore, the office closed the case without finding a violation. Cook County Board of Review no further action on virtual meeting rules https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-77875/ 2023-09-11T00:00:00Z A citizen complained that the Cook County Board of Review made it too difficult to attend meetings online or provide public comments. The Attorney General's office explained that the Open Meetings Act does not actually require public bodies to offer remote attendance options at all. Because the law doesn't require virtual meetings, the Board's rules for them do not violate the Act. Cook County Board of Review commissioners' private amendment talks were subject to OMA https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-68344/ 2022-12-15T00:00:00Z A complainant alleged that two Cook County Board of Review commissioners held private discussions about a proposed amendment to the Property Tax Code, arguing these should have been discussed in a public meeting. The Illinois Attorney General's Public Access Bureau issued a determination under the Open Meetings Act, concluding that the discussions pertained to public business and were subject to OMA's requirements. The document contains legal analysis but does not explicitly state a finding of a Cook County Board of Review held improper closed meeting in violation of Open Meetings Act https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-68599/ 2022-01-19T00:00:00Z A staff member alleged that the Cook County Board of Review held a private meeting that should have been open to the public. The Illinois Attorney General's Public Access Bureau determined that the Board held an improper closed meeting on March 10, 2021, in violation of the Open Meetings Act.