Original News, Features & Opinion on Chicago, Illinois and America
The 5 Most Common Mistakes Homeowners Make with Property Taxes Column: Your Property Taxes with Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas By Maria Pappas Every year, my office hears from thousands of homeowners who run into problems with their property taxes due to common errors. Here are the five most common mistakes homeowners make and what…
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Frank Calabrese and Ray Hanania on Politics podcast discuss court ruling on Samatha Steele’s alleged DUI Political consultants and writers Frank Calabrese and Ray Hanania discuss the shocking decision by a former judge this week to reject DUI charges against outgoing Board of Review 2nd District Commissioner Samantah Steele on the “Ray Hanania on Politics”…
Treasurer Maria Pappas Recognizes Cinco de Mayo with Celebration of Mexican Heritage Featuring Mariachi Music, Live Horses, and an Art Exhibit Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas marked Cinco de Mayo on May 5 with a public celebration honoring the deep cultural roots and lasting contributions of the Mexican diaspora in Chicagoland. The event featured live…
Cook County Treasurer Pappas and Alliance of Polish Clubs President Mirowska-Kopec recognize Polish population by honoring local leaders ahead of Polish Constitution Day Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas will attend the raising of the Polish Flag over Daley Plaza on Friday, May 1 at noon. Afterwards, along with Alliance of Polish Clubs USA President Lucja…
Pappas and Consul General Anton Lungu Honor Moldovan National Flag Day in Chicago at Flag Raising and Reception Honoring Civic Leaders Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas will participate in the raising of the Moldovan tricolor over Daley Plaza at 12:00 p.m. today Monday, April 27, in downtown Chicago followed by a reception in her Clark Street office….
Your Property Taxes with Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas: You May Be Owed Money For Overpaying Property Taxes Up To 20 Years Ago By Maria Pappas My office is managing $105 million in potential refunds for property tax overpayments going back 20 years that I’m eager to send back to property owners. But determining who’s…
Your Property Taxes with Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas: Thirty Years of Runaway Property Taxes Demand Action By Maria Pappas Since I came into this office in 1998, there’s been one constant, the inexorable rise of property tax bills. To better understand why, my office conducted a 30-year analysis of property tax data. The findings…
Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas recognizes Assyrian New Year by honoring civic, business and community leaders Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas (middle) celebrated the Assyrian New Year of 6776 by welcoming dozens of civic, business and community leaders to her downtown office for an afternoon of traditional Assyrian song and dance. The Assyrian New Year,…
Pappas Study Calls for Halt to Runaway Property Taxes Cook County property taxes have grown at twice the rate of inflation over the past three decades, forcing home and business owners to turn over an ever-greater percentage of their annual earnings to local governments, according to a study released Monday by Treasurer Maria Pappas. During…
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Paying your tax bill online is easy and safe, but you can also pay by mail or in person Column: Your Property Taxes with the Cook County Treasurer In 1789, Ben Franklin wrote that nothing was certain “except death and taxes.” Let’s focus on the taxes part of the great American statesman’s uncomfortable reminder: The…
Ted Dabrowski cuts through the BS and takes on the biggest drain on property taxes By Ray Hanania Ted Dabrowski is one of four candidates running for the Republican nomination for Illinois Governor in the March 17 Republican primary election. But he is the only one who is speaking to the real challenges of fast-rising…
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Women Leaders Come Together for Fifth Annual 16th District Women’s Power Brunch On Friday, March 6th, the Fifth Annual 16th District Women’s Power Brunch was held to celebrate women leaders throughout the 16th District. The event was hosted by Cook County Commissioner Frank J. Aguilar, 16th District Commissioner on Women’s Issues Claudia Ayala, Hillside Mayor…
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Property Tax Exemptions: How Homeowners and Seniors Can Save on Taxes Column: Your Property Taxes with the Cook County Treasurer Property taxes can be a financial burden but exemptions can reduce those costs by offering significant savings to property owners. There are three exemptions that do the most good for the most people. They are…
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Important News: Chicago Tribune endorses Patricia Joan “Trish” Murphy in 6th Cook County District The Chicago Tribune has endorsed Patricia Joan “Trish” Murphy for the important Cook County Board 6th District election in the Democratic Primary on March 17, 2026. The seat is held by Donna Miller who is retiring from that position and is…
Pappas says pay property tax bills online now at cookcountytreasurer.com Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas will mail nearly 1.8 million Tax Year 2025 First Installment property tax bills by March 2. Payments are due Wednesday, April 1, 2026. But if you want the peace of mind that comes from paying early, you can make payments…
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Preckwinkle and Pappas announce on-time First Installment tax bills, ensuring prompt distributions to taxing agencies Property owners face an important tax deadline in the coming weeks, and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Treasurer Maria Pappas are encouraging residents to plan ahead and take advantage of available payment tools. First Installment property tax bills…
Treasurer’s website offers easy way to update property tax bill name and address information Your Property Taxes with The Cook County Treasurer offers insight on services available at the Treasurer’s Office to homeowners You may not look forward to receiving your property tax bill, but it’s crucial that you get it. Not getting it can…
How a Treasurer’s Office Study Closed a Loophole that Allowed Wealthy Investors to Siphon Hundreds of Millions of Dollars from Low-Income areas For years, wealthy investors exploited loopholes in the property tax system to funnel money from local schools and governments into their collective wallets. But the loopholes were closed after a Cook County Treasurer’s…