Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said Black and Latino communities are disproportionately picking up the tax burden in the Chicago area -- and for one particular reason.
On Monday, the Cook County Treasurer’s office released a 32-page report calling the property tax appeal system “broken.”
Stream NBC 5 for free, 24/7, wherever you are.
WATCH HEREThe report says between 2021 and 2023, commercial property owners successfully contested $2 billion in property valuations. According to the report, that caused homeowners in Chicago and the suburbs to have their property taxes increase by 7% more than they otherwise would have.
“There’s something called a levy and there’s a certain amount that all 2,200 governments in Cook County need to function. Once the levy amount is determined, it’s a big piece of pie. You have to decide how it gets cut up and the assessor makes that decision," Pappas said.
If the amount of property taxes paid by businesses goes down, the amount homeowners must pay goes up so the county still hits its numbers.
The report goes on to say Black and Latino homeowners pick up more than their fair share of the tax liability because they “…contested their assessed values at far lower rates than wealthier, white homeowners.”
Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi agreed the system needs to become more equitable.
NBC 5 Responds
“Commercial properties represent 90% of the cuts from appeals and that’s shifting a lot of burden to the homeowners,” said Kaegi. “That’s the biggest inequity in our system. It needs to be fixed.”
Tax assessment appeals first go through the assessor’s office. Then, the assessor’s decision gets final approval from the Board of Review.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the news you need to know with the Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
SIGN UP The county assessor says it's up to the Board of Review to correct the imbalance, but Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele disagreed, telling NBC 5 Responds, “The businesses are winning at the state level because the assessor is just overvaluing property in the first place.”
Board of Review Commissioner George Cardinas told NBC 5 Responds the property tax assessment system is in need of reform.
He said the first step to making the process equitable is to mail homeowners detailed information of how they can appeal a property assessment, along with their property tax bill.
According to the assessor's office, here's how the appeal process works:
STEP 1: Timing
"An appeal can only be filed during certain timeframes. Check to see if your township is open for appeals. Starting a file before your township is open may result in a deleted file," the assessor's office notes.
STEP 2: Check your email
You'll need to create an account - and that requires an email address. A filing ID and docket number will be created and emailed to you.
STEP 3: Apply
You don't have to complete the process all in one go.
"You can save a draft, which allows you to return, modify, and upload attachments before submitting your application," the assessor's office website states.
STEP 4: Submit
You'll need to submit your application before the deadline date. The assessor's office urges residents to only submit one request during the appeals window.
STEP 5: Await results
Once your application is submitted, you'll receive an email confirming the submission was received, but the results of your application will come in the mail -- not electronically.
For more information on the appeal process, click here.
