CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A new report from the Cook County Treasurer said the 21st century has been hard on those who pay property taxes.
Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas released Monday a study of property taxes that shows the county’s tax bills "virtually doubling" over 20 years, an increase that is nearly triple the rise in the cost of living index.
“The Pappas Study” is an examination of tax bills on Cook County’s 1.7 million parcels of property that shows the increase of total taxes over the past 20 years, and allows taxpayers to see the increases in bills on their homes, businesses, and land.
Pappas said the cost of living has risen just 36 percent over 20 years, but the study found some staggering numbers.
In Chicago, taxes on residential properties increased 164 percent since 2000, from $1.33 billion to $3.51 billion.
In suburban Cook County, total taxes on residential properties jumped 116 percent, from $2.45 billion to $5.29 billion.
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Cook County has 2,200 local government agencies, such as school districts, townships, parks, libraries, public health, and safety agencies. "The Pappas Study" analyzed total property taxes billed by Cook County's 135 cities and villages by those 2,200 agencies.
The study is posted on cookcountytreasurer.com with a research tool allowing owners to see “how local governments taxed property and people have paid the tax bill” over two decades, Pappas said.
“This website tool gives taxpayers s a sobering reminder of what they have paid every year going back 20 years,” she said. “In the midst of the pandemic and a recession, local governments should take their foot off the gas pedal and stop raising property taxes.”
“Because the study lets us see what government has done in the past, we might be able to chart a better, less costly future,” Pappas said. “Government cannot just raise taxes and hope for the best.”
To see your property tax payment history over 20 years, visit cookcountytreasurer.com and follow these steps:
• Select the purple box labeled “Your Property Tax Overview”
• Enter your address or Property Index Number (PIN)
• Select the tab on the left that says “20-Year Tax Bill History”
• See an interactive map that shows how property taxes billed have increased in Chicago wards and suburbs since 2001