Cook County property tax bills are due Dec. 15. For many residents, the bill is unaffordable.
Higher reassessments are primarily to blame. The Cook County Board of Review is hoping to offer some relief for next year's bills.
With her property tax bill in hand, Shanice Dean filed an appeal with the Cook County Board of Review. The West Side homeowner's taxes skyrocketed by over 100%. It's not great timing. Dean is a Transportation Security Administration agent, who spent almost two months working without pay.
"So, 45-plus days of a government shutdown, so, where I'm paying other bills on top of late payment on my mortgage, now a $3,000 increase in my taxes," Dean said.
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South and West Side property owners were hit with huge tax bills. Assessments are based on the real estate market, which has soared since COVID.
"I would like to know why; 133% for the West Side alone is crazy. And there's nothing to show for it. There's no community activities. There is no improvement in the neighborhood," Dean said.
Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi blames the Board of Review for shifting the burden to homeowners by giving large reductions to commercial properties.
Board of Review commissioners blame Kaegi for not accurately assessing properties.
"He's flying the plane while he's fixing the plane, and that's the problem. When you do that, you have crashes. You have errors of the type that we're seeing come out of, coming out of his office," Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Larry Rogers Jr. said. "These appeals will affect forthcoming tax bills, which will be issued and due in 2026. They do not apply to the current bills that were just issued."
To lower the current bills mailed in November, the Board of Review is directing upset homeowners back to the assessor's office to file a certificate of error. But those are only granted if there is a proven factual error.
"We have you at maybe 1,000 extra square footage. We have you at having your house having five bedrooms when it only has two. We have you as having a coach house," said Angelina Romero, the Cook County assessor's chief communications officer.
To guide upset homeowners through their latest tax bills, the Cook County Assessor's Office will hold four events next week on the South and West sides of Chicago.
Kaegi, who is up for reelection, plans to be at all of them.