When you see or hear the words “Cook County property taxes” in the headlines, you can pretty much assume it’s not going to be good news. Unless, perhaps, you are a well-heeled business owner with a team of attorneys scrutinizing your tax bills.

For everyone else, it’s a safe bet that:

1. The county’s budgetary pressures will continue to increase, and
2. Your property tax payments will be increasingly relied upon to close the gaps.

What doesn’t come out of your tax bill will come out of somebody else’s – and vice versa.

The system is prone to errors in assessed property values, but it puts the burden on property owners to be sure they’re not paying more than their fair share. It’s a zero-sum process that leaves those who don’t appeal subsidizing the savings of those who do.
Continue reading →