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Ald. Michelle Harris, 8th, speaks with Ald. William Hall, 6th, right, during the first day of the 2025 budget hearing at City Hall on Nov. 6, 2024. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune) By George Cardenas PUBLISHED: November 12, 2024 at 5:00 AM CST As a current commissioner for the Cook County Board of Review and a former Chicago … Read more
Mayor Brandon Johnson at City Hall on June 11, 2025. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) By George Cardenas PUBLISHED: July 1, 2025 at 5:00 AM CDT Once again, Chicago finds itself debating yet another tax — this time on groceries, a primary component of our lives. Let’s put the facts on the “counter” for all to see. Putting a … Read more
An American Airlines plane flies over Chicago on March 9, 2025. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) By George Cardenas PUBLISHED: May 9, 2025 at 5:00 AM CDT The recent report issued by Treasurer Maria Pappas presents just one part of the property tax assessment system in Cook County — the appeals process. While raising important points about regressivity, the report makes … Read more
Sunlight hits Chicago City Hall on Jan. 29, 2025. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) By George Cardenas PUBLISHED: February 18, 2025 at 1:45 PM CST Chicago taxpayers are once again being asked to shoulder the burden of an increase in debt and hasty decision-making. Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration is pushing forward an $830 million general obligation bond issuance. Simply … Read more
Residential properties throughout the South and West sides, like these shown on Sept. 18, 2025 on West End Avenue in West Garfield Park, had their property assessments double or even triple last year. Those higher assessments will likely help trigger steep hikes in property tax bills for homeowners in the neighborhoods. Experts, and officials with … Read more
Many Chicago homeowners will see hefty tax increases this fall. Housing in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, seen Sept. 18, 2024. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) By The Editorial Board | Chicago Tribune PUBLISHED: May 29, 2025 at 5:00 AM CDT Most Chicago homeowners will see their property tax bills rise significantly later this year — and that’s before any tax … Read more
The Chicago skyline on Feb. 13, 2024. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) By George Cardenas PUBLISHED: January 27, 2025 at 5:00 AM CST Chicago has always been a city defined by reinvention. From the ashes of the Great Chicago Fire came the world-renowned skyline we see today. Ours is a legacy of resilience and bold action. The pandemic … Read more
By Danny Ecker May 23, 2025 02:40 PM Chicago homeowners will pick up more of the local property tax tab than commercial landlords in the city when bills come out later this year, even though recent numbers from Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi suggested the opposite would happen. In a familiar story that has played out … Read more
The Chicago skyline just before sunrise at Montrose Harbor on Dec. 12, 2024. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) By George Cardenas PUBLISHED: January 9, 2025 at 5:00 AM CST As we enter the new year, the teachers contract negotiations and Chicago’s weakly cobbled 2025 budget remain in the headlines. Simply, the current contract talks between Chicago Public Schools and … Read more
