What Cook County homeowners need to know before Monday’s property tax deadline

Cook County assessor ramps up help as property tax bills spike for homeowners

The Cook County assessor's office is working overtime to help homeowners navigate their property taxes. Bills are due Monday, and these are the steps you need to take.

CHICAGO - The Cook County assessor's office is working overtime to help homeowners navigate their property taxes.

Bills are due Monday, and these are the steps you need to take.

What we know:

Like the city budget fight, this is a battle over tax breaks. The Cook County Board of Review’s tax reductions for major downtown properties have pushed more of the tax burden onto homeowners.

As a result, some residents on the South and West Sides have seen their property tax bills jump by more than 100%.

Cook County Assessor calls for property tax relief amid rising burdens | ChicagoLIVE

Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi is urging county leaders to deliver meaningful tax relief for homeowners, arguing that residential properties are carrying an outsized share of the burden while commercial buildings continue to benefit from major breaks. | A live look at what happened today, what’s happening now, and what’s coming tonight—no script, just real news.

The assessor's office has hosted 23 events across the county since property tax bills dropped last month.

At these events, homeowners can sit down with experts to review their bills line by line to ensure that they have applied for all available exemptions. Evaluation analysts are also on hand to double-check your property tax characteristics.

What they're saying:

Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi says the goal is to help as many people as possible before next week’s deadline, but he is also pushing for reform, calling for "circuit breaker legislation."

"Here's how it works," Kaegi said. "If your tax bill jumps by 25% or more from one year to the next, the state issues you a credit to bring it down, and you get it for several years. Other states already do this as a cornerstone of their property tax system to prevent longtime residents from being forced out of their homes."

What you can do:

While that discussion is up to lawmakers, homeowners are encouraged to come out to one of the final two property tax savings events.

The first is Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Garfield Park Conservatory. The last event will be Thursday at Kennedy-King College at 11 a.m.

And once again, second-installment property tax bills are due on Monday.