The Cook County Assessor's Office is addressing hundreds of homeowners on the south and west sides still being in sticker shock over record property tax increases.
Assessor Fritz Kaegi at a press conference downtown pointed to the Cook County Board of Review for the spiking property taxes across Chicago, saying commissioners gave tax breaks to commercial properties during the appeals process, which shifting millions of dollars to south and west side homeowners.
Community leaders joined the Assessor to highlight the work they've been doing in their communities to educate residents about their tax bills.
Nedra Sims Fears with the Greater Chatham Initiative says her group serves four south side communities, "We're thrilled that property values have gone up on the south side, but we are not thrilled that we are losing the good fight over the increase in property taxes when that burden is being shifted to residents and business owners."
The Cook County Assessor's Office is asking state lawmakers in the spring session to pass the proposed Illinois circuit breaker legislation that would limit how much a homeowner's property tax bill can increase from year to year. The Assessor's Office says an analysis found that nearly 250,000 households across Cook County have seen unsustainable tax bill increases in recent years.
Kaegi has received criticism for his assessment of properties, including in an opinion piece written by Bob Reiter, President of the Chicago Federation of Labor, found in Crain's Chicago Business.