The purpose of the Cook County Modernization Report is to provide leaders of the County with ideas for reshaping and refining County government that will improve service delivery to residents while reducing wasteful spending and decreasing…
A recent poll of Illinois voters might help explain why elected officials have been reluctant to make difficult decisions to solve the State of Illinois’ fiscal crisis. The…
Tax increment financing (TIF) districts do not freeze property tax revenue available to other taxing districts in Cook County; the principal effect of TIF is to raise tax rates higher than they otherwise would have been.…
Explains Effect of TIF on Local Governments in Cook County (CHICAGO) The Civic Federation released today the third in a series of four primers that explain how the property tax system in Cook County works—and doesn’t work. “Property Tax…
The purpose of this report is to describe how property taxes are extended in Cook County, Illinois. It defines tax extension, explains the mechanics of calculating rate limits and tax caps, and describes the effects of Tax Increment…
This article discusses a delay in the mailing of Cook County property tax bills to around November 22, a month later than 2009’s mailing. The Civic Federation says that because of the delay, local governments may have to borrow money for…
This article discusses the Civic Federation’s “Effective Property Tax Rates 1999-2008: Selected…
This blog post discusses findings in the Civic Federation’s “Effective Property Tax Rates 1999-2008:…
Chicago Retains Comparatively Low Effective Property Tax Rates (CHICAGO) The Civic Federation’s annual estimate of effective property tax rates in the six-county region of northeastern Illinois found that effective tax rates rose in 2008…
