The Civic Federation's legislative priorities for 2011 include public pension reform, requiring state government to develop and implement a capital improvement plan, the dissolving of the Illinois International Port District, creating a new governing board for the Cook County Forest Preserve District, reinstating means-tested transit discounts for seniors, requiring large counties to hold budget…
Cook County Clerk David Orr’s office today released the 2009 Cook County Tax Rates Report. The Cook County Treasurer’s office also announced that property tax bills are expected to be mailed via U.S. mail on Wednesday, November 10th. Taxpayers who can’t wait for the mail will be able to look up their tax liabilities on the Treasurer’s web site beginning Wednesday. Tax bills will be due on…
On Monday the Civic Federation released the Cook County Modernization Report, which provided leaders of Cook County with ideas for improving and reshaping county government. Cook County government provides three major public services: a comprehensive public health system; a judicial system including law enforcement and the State’s Attorney’s Office; and tax administration and official records…
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 reliance on taxpayer funds. The Modernization Project provides a roadmap for creating a government that is more efficient, less costly and more accountable.…
Q: Why has the Civic Federation produced the Modernization Report? A: Cook County’s ability to continue to provide to the public health services, law enforcement and judicial services, tax administration, and official records-keeping is jeopardized by its inefficient operations and outmoded governance structure. The Civic Federation embarked on the Cook County Modernization Project because it…
With an estimated 5,287,037 residents, Cook County is the most populous county in the State of Illinois and the second most populous county in the United States, coming only after Los Angeles County in California.[1] The County is 946 square miles in size – of that only 15% is unincorporated by the City of Chicago or other municipalities. The role of Cook County government is to provide…
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.[1] Any additional effects of TIF districts depend on whether or not the redevelopment would have occurred even if the TIFs had not been created. Opponents of TIF often claim…
Cook County second installment property tax bills are expected to come out late this year and might not be due until December 22. Will your bill be higher or lower than last year? It is very difficult to predict whether the tax bill for an individual parcel will increase or decrease in the future due to the complex interactions of many moving parts in the Cook County property tax system…
100-Day Accountability Report This 100-Day Accountability Report gives a progress update on recommendations to reform Cook County that the Civic Federation made in its Cook County Modernization Report. The 100-Day Report provides an overview of key events in the transition to the new administration of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, summarizes key findings from the Modernization…
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 Financing districts on the tax revenues of local governments. It also includes trend data on Equalized Assessed Value, tax rates, tax extensions, and TIF revenue.…
