Chicago residents push back as property taxes soar

West Side residents demand relief after shocking property tax hikes

Amid soaring property tax increases—some topping 100%—faith leaders and elected officials on Chicago’s West Side are calling for a rollback and potential freeze to help struggling homeowners.

CHICAGO - West Side residents are outraged over soaring property taxes. They voiced their frustrations during a fiery town hall meeting Monday night, and on Tuesday morning, faith leaders spoke out again.

What we know:

Those clergy members are calling for a full rollback as homeowners grapple with high bills in the midst of the holiday season.

The backlash comes as the median property tax bill in Chicago rose by 16.7 percent — the largest percentage increase in at least three decades, according to the Cook County Treasurer’s Office.

Treasurer Maria Pappas has noted that lower-income neighborhoods are seeing the steepest hikes, with West Garfield Park residents experiencing roughly a 133-percent increase. In North Lawndale, neighbors are seeing increases of about 99 percent.

What they're saying:

Faith leaders and elected officials on the West Side addressed the rising taxes.

"Some people are going to lose their homes because of their inability to pay $2,000, $3,000, $4,000, $5,000. One woman says she has to pay as much as $11,000, right?" said David Cherry, President of The Leaders Network.

Rev. Dr. Jannette Wilson of the Vision Conference added, "It’s not just the land. We have too many people who are hungry, too many people going to shelters overnight and they gotta wander all day to figure out where they’re going to be warm at night — and standing in line at 9 p.m. to go to a shelter that may or may not be able to still feed you."

What's next:

Some elected officials say they are now pushing for a tax freeze while they work to bring property taxes down to more affordable levels for residents.