YOUR TAXPAYER ADVOCATES
1616 N. ARLINGTON HEIGHTS RD
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL 60004
(847) 259-1515
RELEASE Monday, October 30, 2023
Contact: Maria Pappas (312) 603-6202
Pappas: School districts hiked property taxes on Cook County homes, businessesAn analysis of Cook County's 1.8 million property tax bills for 2022 shows that school districts are chiefly responsible for hefty tax bills that are due Dec. 1, according to Treasurer Maria Pappas.
The median residential tax bill in the north and northwest suburbs increased 15.7%, the largest percentage increase in at least 30 years, the analysis found. These higher tax bills are the result of increased levies - the amount of money sought by taxing districts - and a shift of the tax burden onto homeowners from businesses as a result of reassessments in the northern suburbs.
Treasurer's Office researchers Hal Dardick and Todd Lighty led the analysis. Pappas hired the former Chicago Tribune investigative journalists to head up her office's think tank. The analysis is the latest addition to the Pappas Studies, a series of examinations of the complex property tax system available at cookcountytreasurer.com.
Key findings of the analysis show:
- Of 940 taxing agencies in the county, 676 - or 71.9% - increased taxes.
- The amount of taxes billed to property owners countywide rose more than $909 million from $16.7 billion to $17.6 billion, a 5.4% increase over 2021. Homeowners are shouldering $599.1 million, or two-thirds of the increase, while commercial properties are picking up one-third and owe an additional $314.4 million.
- In newly reassessed north and northwest suburbs, taxes rose $331 million - with a $387 million, or 12.9%, increase on residences and a $56 million, or 2.7%, decrease on commercial properties.
- In the south and southwest suburbs, taxes rose $173 million from $3.88 billion to $4.06 billion. Residential taxes increased $98 million, or 4.1%, from $2.4 billion to $2.5 billion, while taxes on commercial properties increased $75 million, or 5.1%, from $1.48 billion to $1.56 billion.
Cook County is divided into three areas for reassessments: the city of Chicago, north suburbs and south suburbs. The county assessor calculates new values for properties in each region once every three years, a process known as triennial reassessments.
Property values are one factor in the complex property tax system. Local units of government set tax levies that determine how much money they need to operate. The assessed values of properties and amounts of levies determine the tax rates, which vary widely among communities.
State law allows school districts to hike taxes by the prior year's increase in the consumer price index, or 5%, whichever is less. Because the CPI increased by 7% in 2021, school districts were allowed a 5% increase. But the overall percentage increase was higher, partly due to a new provision called recapture.
Recapture, which took effect in the 2021 tax year due to a change in state law, allows schools and other taxing bodies to recover money that was refunded to property owners whose assessments were lowered by the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board, state courts or county offices.
Recapture accounted for $203.7 million countywide for 2022, a $72.7 million increase from last year.
Significant increases in the amount of money the city of Chicago and Chicago Public Schools said they needed to operate, coupled with the recapture provision and higher tax increment financing district bills, boosted the overall property tax burden in Chicago by $410 million from $7.65 billion to $8.1 billion. That broke down as a $296 million, or 7.8%, increase on commercial properties and a $115 million, or 3%, increase on residential properties.
Chicago Public Schools recaptured $50.8 million for the 2022 tax year. As a home rule municipality, the city of Chicago is unable to recapture taxes, as the state law applies only to non-home rule communities.
The Treasurer's analysis revealed that throughout Cook County in 2022, the amount owed to tax increment financing districts increased $124.6 million from $1.43 billion to $1.56 billion. TIF district increases account for about 13.7% of the overall rise in what property owners across the county owe.
Second Installment 2022 tax bills are set to be mailed Nov. 1 and are due Dec. 1. Property owners who don't wait to wait for their bills to arrive in the mail can pay their taxes online now at cookcountytreasurer.com. Partial payments are accepted.
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A MESSAGE FROM KEN JOCHUM, YOUR TOWNSHIP ASSESSOR
EXCITING NEWS FOR FIRST TIME HOMEBUYERS
A seminar explaining the Real Estate tax process and how a homebuyer can navigate successfully will be presented by Ken Jochum Wheeling Township Assessor. This session is geared toward those who have purchased a home for the first time and may be unfamiliar with how the Real Estate tax process works.
This, BY RESERVATION ONLY, seminar will be held on Nov.2, 2023 from 7-8:15 PM in the Ulrich Meeting Room at the Township office. The Township office is located at 1616 N. Arlington Heights Rd., in Arlington Heights.
Seating is limited so reservations are necessary to allow for the preparation customized materials for home owners.
To reserve a place, call the Assessor's office at 847-259-1515
Or email us at taxinfo@wheelingtownship.comWHEELING TOWNSHIP IS NOW OPEN FOR APPEALS TO THE COOK COUNTY ASSESSOR FOR TAX YEAR 2023.
WHEELING TOWNSHIPS APPEAL PERIOD ENDS OCTOBER 2, 2023
OUR APPEALS PERIOD OFFICE HOURS ARE MON-FRI FROM 9 AM TO 3:00PM.
WE WILL BE PROCESSING APPEALS FROM 3:00 TO 4:30 AND WILL BE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC.
PLEASE CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT (847-259-1515). IF YOU ARE WILLING TO WAIT IN LINE WE WILL BE SERVING WALK-INS AS TIME PERMITS.
YOU CAN ALSO EMAIL US AT TAXINFO@WHEELINGTOWNSHIP.COM TO REQUEST THAT WE PREPARE COMPARABLES AND SUBMIT YOUR APPEAL. Remember to include pin, address, property owner name and phone number in your email.
COOK COUNTY BOARD OF REVIEW COMMISSIONER SAMANTHA STEELE HAS INFORMED US THAT THE WHEELING TOWNSHIP TAX YEAR 2022 RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TAX APPEALS OUTCOMES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
12,646 TOTAL WHEELING TOWNSHIP APPEALS
NO CHANGE; 5,924 OR 47%
REDUCTION; 6,722 OR 53%
Feel free to contact our Township Assessor office for any further information, we will be happy to assist you with your filing. If you are filing for the senior freeze with our office please bring in your Federal 1040 from 2021 to assist with your filing.
ABOUT WHO DOES WHAT...
The Cook County Assessor is required by law to identify and assign fair market value to all properties in Cook County. The Cook County Assessor does NOT set taxes, mail bills, or collect taxes. The Cook County Assessor is responsible only for determining the value of property, thereby establishing your assessed valuation.
The Wheeling Township Assessor does not assess property but rather is a taxpayer advocate, assisting taxpayers with appeals as well as the navigation of the property tax system.
The Wheeling Township Assessor is a separately elected official who works for the taxpayer and assists the Cook County Assessor. Our office is not funded or controlled by the Cook County Assessor's office.
Our staff has many years of experience serving taxpayers in Wheeling Township and welcomes the opportunity to serve you.
SERVICES PROVIDED BY OUR OFFICE
- Assistance with the filing of Assessment Appeals through the Cook County Assessor's office and Cook County Board of Review.
- Application for and verification of Senior Freeze, Senior Exemption, Homeowners exemption, Disabled Veteran's and Disabled Person's Exemptions.
- Assistance with filing for Real Estate Tax Refunds (Certificates of Error).
- Provide property index numbers (PIN) as required by local municipal variance applications.
- Information and Assistance with the following Cook County Agencies: Cook County Assessor, Cook County Board of Review, Cook County Treasurer, and Cook County Recorder of Deeds/Cook County Clerk.
- Assistance with name and address changes for the Cook County Treasurer's office and Property Location changes for the Cook County Assessor's office.
- Processing of Building Permits and Certificates of Occupancy with the Cook County Assessor for entry on tax rolls.
- Maintain current Real Estate Sales Transfer Declarations
- Free notarization for property related forms.
- Provide forms for division and consolidation applications.
EXEMPTIONS
Exemptions reduce the equalized assessed value (EAV), of a property. Deductions will appear on the second installment bills issued in the summer.
HOMEOWNER'S EXEMPTION
The homeowner exemption is $10,000 off of the EAV or 10,000x the local tax rate.
SENIOR EXEMPTIONS
Seniors who currently receive the SENIOR EXEMPTION need not reapply, the exemption will automatically renew annually. Two senior exemptions are available.
- The SENIOR EXEMPTION, available to all seniors regardless of income, reduces the Equalized Assessed Value on your 2nd installment bill by $8,000. That can equate to a savings of $700 or more annually on the property tax bill. This exemption automatically renews unless a sale or death is recorded.
- The SENIOR FREEZE may provide some seniors with additional savings if the combined gross income of all occupants in a senior's household is less than $65,000 (for income of previous tax year), and if the senior has been an owner-occupant of the house since January 1st. The senior freeze does not freeze the total amount due each year, it freezes the total assessed value. The taxable amount is still subject to the annual state equalizer and local tax rate changes.
Exemptions can only be taken on one property, and that must be the owner's principal residence. One senior/senior freeze exemption per household is permitted.
DISABLED VETERAN EXEMPTION
Veterans with 30%-49% service connected disability receive $2,500 reduction in the equalized assessed value.
Veterans with 50%-69% service connected disability receive $5,000 reduction in the EAV.
Veterans with 70% or more service connected disability are completely exempt from property taxation on their primary residence up to an EAV of $250,000.
DISABLED PERSON
The Disabled Person's Homeowner Exemption provides an annual $2,000 reduction in the EAV of the property. The property must have been owned and occupied on January 1 of the assessment year by a disabled person who is liable for the payment of property taxes.
COOK COUNTY TREASURER NAME AND ADDRESS CHANGES
Property owners should use to www.cookcountytreasurer.com update the name or mailing address on their tax bills. To help homeowners who have mail delivery problems, the site also shows when tax bills have been returned by the U.S. Postal Service.
HELPFUL LINKS
www.cookcountypropertyinfo.com
This site provides an overview of property tax information for any property within Cook County and serves as a portal into related sites.
This site provides information about the Cook County Assessor's office, which is responsible for assessing all property in the county. You can use this site to look up the assessment and characteristics of your property which can be used for appeals and the Assessor and Board of Review.
www.cookcountyboardofreview.com
This site will tell you how to file an assessment appeal at the Board of Review.
This website allows you to check status of your property tax bill, download a duplicate copy, and pay online. Information is also available on name and address changes, refunds, exemption and tax dates.
Find information on redemption of delinquent property taxes that have been sold. Learn how the Clerk's office calculates tax rates based on tax levies. This site will also give you information on how to get legal descriptions of parcels and copies of tax maps.
The Cook County Clerk has assumed all operations and duties of Recorder of Deeds. Property recordings and deed searches can be found at the above website.
The State of Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board (PTAB) site will provide information on how to file an assessment appeal at PTAB. Be advised that you may only file an appeal at PTAB if you have previously filed an appeal at the Cook County Board of Review for the tax year in question.
Our staff of Neighbors stands ready to assist you with any real estate property tax related issues, stop in or call us any time Monday through Friday from 9-4:30.
At Your Service,
Ken Jochum CIAO, Township Assessor kjochum@wheelingtownship.com
Julia Lipka CIAO, Chief Deputy Assessor