Original News, Features & Opinion on Chicago, Illinois and America
What You’re Missing on Your Property Tax Bill By Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas Twice each year, my office mails out about 1.8 million tax bills to Cook County property owners. Most people glance only at the amount due. But your bill is much more than a dollar figure. It’s a detailed breakdown of how…
Treasurer Maria Pappas: Homeowners Blast Property Tax Increases, but Skip Voting When Given a Chance to Reject Them Just one in five Cook County voters bothered to vote in the last two elections when asked whether to approve property tax increases, allowing a distinct minority of voters to approve hundreds of millions of dollars in…
Cook County Board of Review Opens 2026 Property Tax Appeal Season on Monday, July 27 Chicago, IL – Tuesday, July 21, 2026 – The Cook County Board of Review (CCBOR) will officially open the 2026 property tax appeal season on Monday, July 27, providing homeowners, businesses, and property owners across Cook County the opportunity to…
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Your Property Index Number or PIN; What You Need to Know By Maria Pappas If you own property in Cook County, there’s one number you should always know: your PIN. That’s short for Property Index Number—a 14-digit code assigned to every piece of real estate in the county. It’s tied to the legal description of…
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Historic Property Tax Reforms Championed by Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas signed into Law Gov. JB Pritzker today signed into law landmark legislation pushed by Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas to protect homeowners from losing their equity through property tax foreclosure. The new law marks the most significant overhaul of Illinois’ property tax foreclosure system…
Bolingbrook Mayor, Legislators, Urge ICC to Reject Latest Illinois American Water Rate Hike The ICC will host a public hearing in Bolingbrook to allow residents to speak out on the proposed massive rate hike by Illinois American Water. The meeting will be Tuesday, July 14, 2026 beginning at 6:30 PM at the Bolingbrook Community Center,…
Support Muslim Radio show 820 AM fundraiser on July 29 in Bolingbrook Radio talkshow host Mohammed Faheem is hosting a fundraiser dinner banquet on Wednesday evening, July 29, 2026 at the Bolingbrook Community Center, 201 Canterbury Lane to support the Lightning Strike Radio Show broadcast every Sunday morning at 8 AM in WCPT 820 AM…
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The Pappas Portal: Free News You Can Use By Maria Pappas When it comes to property taxes in Cook County, a lot of people feel like they’re staring at a 1,000-piece puzzle—and someone hid the box with the picture on the cover. That’s why I want to tell you about a tool that helps you…
The levy: It’s not a dam, but it is a word you should know! Since I first stepped into my office 27 years ago, one question has repeatedly come up: “Why do my property taxes always go up?” It’s a valid concern. At the heart of the answer is something called the tax levy. Simply…
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Speaker Welch says keeping Bears Stadium in Illinois important The Illinois General Assembly, House and Senate, did not pass the key stadium bill before adjourning last week as public concern focused on proposals to pass tax breaks for the Bears organization which is extremely profitable and earned more than $600 million last year, according to…
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Illinois Takes a Major Step to Protect Homeowners By Maria Pappas Owning a home has long been the foundation of financial security for American families. It’s typically a person’s largest investment, one that represents hard work, sacrifice, and a chance to build generational wealth. That’s why the Illinois General Assembly’s passage of House Bill…
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Important News: WLS TV spotlights achievements of Maria Pappas, returns millions to taxpayers By Ray Hanania WLS TV recently did an extensive report that showed how Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas was refunding property tax overpayments and crediting failed deductions to tens of thousands of Cook County property tax owners. The return of the overpayments…
Property Tax Pointers: 10 Must-Know Tips for Homeowners By Maria Pappas As Cook County Treasurer, I’ve learned that the property tax system can be confusing and intimidating. To help, I’ve created 10 tips to better understand your property taxes. Familiarize yourself with the Cook County Treasurer’s Office Website Visit cookcountytreasurer.com, your one-stop shop for property…
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Cardenas Urges Full Passage of 2026 Tax Relief for Families of Fallen Heroes, Calls on Eligible Spouses to Apply Chairman George Cardenas of the Cook County Board of Review today presented the Surviving Spouse Tax Abatement Recommendations for Tax Year 2026 to the Cook County Board of Commissioners, urging full passage and encouraging eligible families…
Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas Honors Mothers from Around the World in Downtown Office Celebration with Live Music and Awards Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas hosted a special celebration honoring the enduring impact of mothers on Monday, May 11 at 2:00 p.m., in the Treasurer’s Office at 118 N. Clark Street, Room 112. Pappas recognized…
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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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…
OIG Finds the City Council Office of Financial Analysis Provided Limited Assistance to City Council in Budget Planning and Decision Making The City of Chicago Office of Inspector General (OIG) has completed an audit of the City Council Office of Financial Analysis (COFA). OIG’s objective was to determine whether COFA fulfilled its mission of providing…