Thursday marked the first public meeting of the year for Pilsen and Little Village residents.
Ald. Byron Sigcho Lopez, who represents the city's 25th Ward, typically hosts meetings throughout the year to understand what residents are concerned with, and share progress in the ward.
"We're trying to raise awareness with state and federal officials as well about the needs of our local communities," he told NBC Chicago. "We know there are residents struggling with property taxes, housing is a big problem across the city and in our community we have a serious issue of property tax increase.”
Property taxes and public safety took center stage at the meeting on Thursday night.
“It’s something that’s very concerning," said lifelong Pilsen resident Ambar Gonzalez. "A lot of families are losing their homes, older folks losing their homes. We can’t stand for that."
Gonzalez told NBC Chicago that her family's property tax bill has increased more than 100% since 2020.
“Luckily I’ve been able to cover that, but it’s because I’m a lawyer and have a business and decided to stay in this community in my property," Gonzalez said. "But what about everybody else?”
Local
Ward leaders suggested a proposal to expand the Tax Increment Financing, or TIF district, to include residential properties in Pilsen. They said it would help homeowners with property tax bills.
However, some in the community are against TIF expansions, fearing it will increase property values and taxes in the future.
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“In the moment it’s not directly increasing taxes, but in 5-10 years the valuation goes up," one resident said during public comment.
Cook County residents can use a new tool from the Treasurer's Office to see how much their taxes are increasing and where their money is going. That tool can be found here.
Tax concerns took a turn to crime halfway through the meeting.
“My daughter was killed in a mass shooting in Pilsen in 2022," said Frances Velez, the mother of Micaela Castaneda.
Castaneda, a 29-year-old mother of two, died from gunshot injuries.
Velez said she wants to see more police patrolling the area, especially outside of schools.
"We need to protect our children when they’re coming out of school," she told NBC Chicago. "We need to come up with more solutions. There is programs out there we need to tell our young adults... to get involved in your communities. There is more to life than just one block."
She also encourages people to come forward with information to solve crimes.
"Everybody knows everybody," she said. "Real friends will tell you 'hey this is wrong.'"
Representatives from Chicago's 12th Police District echoed that sentiment during the meeting, encouraging residents to speak up if they have information on a crime. They said no officers will ask about immigration status when reporting a crime, or providing information.
Sigcho Lopez also took time to highlight infrastructure progress in the area.
In 2023, the Ward put $1.1 million toward resurfacing and improving roads and alleys. The ward also added $165,000 of new light poles in the area. Next year they hope to cover some sidewalks in need of repair.
"We are not going to be able to resolve something today," said Gonzalez. "But I at least want to make sure we all get an opportunity to get our voices heard.”
