Joseph Mario Moreno

Joseph Mario Moreno is Commissioner for the 7th district of Cook County, Illinois.

Early life

Moreno earned his law degree from DePaul University College of Law.

Public service

Prior to his election as a commissioner, Moreno worked for the Chicago Attorney General’s Office as Special Assistant to the Attorney General He also served on the Committee on Financing for the Secretary of State’s Office.

Commissioner Moreno's sister, Maria Moreno-Szafarczyk, works at the Cook County Bureau of Health. She started working for the Bureau of Health.

Cook County Commissioner

Moreno is the Chairperson for the Building Committee and Vice-Chair for the Labor, Tax and Revenue, and Roads and Bridges Committees. Additionally, Moreno serves on 13 committees: Real Estate, Tax Delinquency, Stroger and Cermak Hospitals, Information and Automation, Environmental Control, Construction, Contract Compliance, Industrial Claims, Rules, Law Enforcement and Corrections, Health and Hospitals, Finance, and Zoning and Buildings.

Commissioners Joseph Mario Moreno, along with Roberto Maldonado, both Chicago Democrats, want to expand Cook County vehicle sticker tax to all vehicles in municipalities, including Chicago, where the vehicle-sticker fee recently was raised for sport-utility vehicles. All Cook County residents would have to buy a $40 vehicle sticker for each car they own under a proposal two County Board commissioners are floating to help plug a budget deficit now pegged at $238 million. He also went on record against cutting the county budget, and is in favor of raising the sales tax by 1.25% or more.

As Cook County Board Commissioner, Moreno voted to uphold a historic 2008 Cook County sales tax increase, remaining the highest in the nation. As a result the Chicago Tribune has encouraged voters to vote against him in the 2010 elections.