March 2019 - Gary H. Smith

Effective Property Tax Rates for Cook County: Analyzing the Ten-Year Trend

The Civic Federation recently released its annual “Effective Property Tax Rates report,” which looks at the effective property tax rates for Chicago and 28 other selected municipalities in northeastern Illinois. This year’s report estimates the tax year 2016, which means […]

Assessor Kaegi Completes Two Township Reassessments, and the Results are Large Assessment Increases for the Taxpayer

Assessor Kaegi was recently elected with a mandate from Cook County voters to “reform” the property tax assessment system. He campaigned on enacting massive changes to the methods of reassessment, and to the entire tax system. He spoke about assessment […]

First Installment Tax BIlls: Here’s Why Your Exemptions or the Impact of Your Appeal May Not Be Showing Up

Property tax bills in Cook County are delivered in two parts. The first installment is sent near the end of January and is due March 1. The second installments are usually sent at the end of summer, after the total […]

Did You Take Advantage of Property Tax Abatement? Your Next Tax Bill May Shock You

Property tax abatement programs ease the property tax burden for homeowners in Cook County by reducing or eliminating property taxes in areas that are built through new construction or those going through major rehabilitation. 7 Programs Within Cook County Offer […]