State Rep. Karen Yarbrough, whose 7th District includes Forest Park, confirmed that she is planning to run for the Cook County recorder of deeds when the 2012 election rolls around.
Yarbrough told the Forest Park Review on Friday that she is looking to be slated by the Cook County Democratic Party as a candidate for the office, which has been held by Gene Moore since 1999. Yarbrough, a 10-year state representative, sits on the executive board of the county’s Democratic Party; but a party representative would not confirm Yarbrough was being considered.
“It’s certainly a rumor,” said Kelley Quinn, a spokeswoman for the county’s party. “Everybody will be heard and considered.”
Quinn said it was way too early to be thinking about slating and noted the process doesn’t even begin until October.
Nonetheless, Yarbrough said she is hoping for the nod.
“I’m seeking to be slated,” she said.
Furthermore, rumors have circulated that Moore will be retiring, although his office did not return calls for confirmation. Yarbough said it was her understanding that he would be leaving the position. His Maywood home is currently under foreclosure and he owes some $78,000 in back payments the Chicago Tribune reported last month.
Yarbrough said that if elected there is a lot she would do to improve the office. She said a better trained staff was needed and also mentioned that she would work to revamp the outdated website.
“Over the years that office has been kind of slack,” she said. “I think that there’s more training that’s needed. This is 2011 and we do a lot of work with computers.”
Yarbrough promised a “robust” computer system if elected.
She also said that the recorder of deeds could pay more attention to home-consumer protection.
“It’s a place that we could implement a mortgage-fraud unit,” Yarbrough said. “If you have a trained eye, you could see some of this stuff.”
