Category: Taxes

Status of Temporary Restraining Order Against Former Mayor Keith Pekau

January 21, 2026January 21, 2026 Ray Hanania No Comments

Status of Temporary Restraining Order Against Former Mayor Keith Pekau Status of Temporary Restraining Order Against Former Mayor Keith Pekau for Releasing Confidential Village Information On January 20, 2026, Cook County Circuit Court Judge Caroline Kate Moreland denied former Mayor Keith Pekau’s motion to dissolve the existing Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), allowing the Village’s lawsuit…

Crime, Government, Law, News, NewsWire, Orland Park, Politics, Suburban Chicagoland, Taxes

Orland Park Village Board Approves First-of-Its-Kind Amazon Retail Store at 159th Street and LaGrange Road

January 20, 2026January 20, 2026 Ray Hanania No Comments

Orland Park Village Board Approves First-of-Its-Kind Amazon Retail Store at 159th Street and LaGrange Road Orland Park Village Board Approves First-of-Its-Kind Amazon Retail Store at 159th Street and LaGrange At its January 19, 2026 meeting, the Orland Park Village Board approved a first-of-its-kind Amazon retail store at the southwest corner of 159th Street and LaGrange…

Business, construction, Editors Pick, News, NewsWire, Orland Park, Suburban Chicagoland, Taxes

Want to go paperless? eBilling lets you receive tax bills via email

January 17, 2026January 17, 2026 Ray Hanania No Comments

Want to go paperless? eBilling lets you receive tax bills via email Cook County property owners can sign up for eBilling for themselves or family members to receive property tax bills through their computers or smart phones instead of the mail. The eBilling option offers the convenience of allowing spouses to each receive copies of…

Cook County, Maria Pappas, News, NewsWire, Taxes

Candidate Harrell joins regional Pastors to demand “freeze and rollback” of Cook County Property Taxes

January 12, 2026January 12, 2026 Ray Hanania No Comments

Candidate Harrell joins regional Pastors to demand “freeze and rollback” of Cook County Property Taxes Chicago, IL – John Harrell, a candidate for the 8th Illinois House District, joined a coalition of Pastors, mostly from the region’s south and West Sides and representing minority and low-income communities to demand that Cook County officials and the Illinois…

Cook County, elections, John Harrell, News, NewsWire, Politics, Taxes

Ray Hanania Radio and Podcasts

December 26, 2025January 2, 2026 Ray Hanania No Comments

Ray Hanania Radio and Podcasts People have asked how to access all of my writings, radio shows, and audio/video podcasts, which include Ray Hanania on Politics, Two Guys on Politics with Bill Lipinski, The Ray Hanania Radio Show sponsored by Arab News on WNZK AM 690 Radio in Michigan, and Ray Hanania’s Syndicated column. Hanania takes…

Bill Lipinski, Books & Films, Commentary, elections, Entertainment, Government, Illinois Legislature, National, News, NewsWire, Opinion, Orland Park, Podcast, Politics, Radio, rayhanania, Restaurant Review, restaurants, Review, Suburban Chicagoland, Taxes, Travel

Cook County Pastors from the south and west sides and suburbs urge property tax reform

December 16, 2025December 18, 2025 News Editor No Comments

Cook County Pastors from the south and west sides and suburbs urge property tax reform Chicago, IL — A coalition of African American Pastors representing more than 100 churches on Chicago’s South and West sides and suburbs called for immediate reforms in the property tax system, warning recent tax hikes will force thousands to lose…

Cook County, Economy, elections, Government, News, NewsWire, Politics, Suburban Chicagoland, Taxes

John Harrell hosts taxpayer review workshops for residents, urges extension of appeals period and tax hike limits

December 12, 2025December 12, 2025 Ray Hanania No Comments

John Harrell hosts taxpayer review workshops for residents, urges extension of appeals period and tax hike limits 8th Legislative District candidate Harrell calls for extension of property tax payment deadline, new laws to make it more difficult for homeowners to lose their properties because of property tax debts, and to limit how much property taxes…

Chicago, elections, Government, News, news release, NewsWire, Politics, Suburban Chicagoland, Taxes

Financial planning tool offers free online help to budget late tax payments

December 11, 2025December 11, 2025 Ray Hanania No Comments

Financial planning tool offers free online help to budget late tax payments By Maria Pappas Property owners unable to pay their tax bills in full by the Dec. 15 due date should look at our free online financial planning tool that helps you make smaller, more manageable payments over time. It’s called the Payment Plan…

Blogger, Commentary, Cook County, Maria Pappas, Opinion, Taxes

Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas column explores options to help pay property taxes by Dec. 15

December 5, 2025December 5, 2025 Ray Hanania No Comments

Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas column explores options to help pay property taxes by Dec. 15 If you can’t pay your taxes by the December 15 due date, there’s a 13-month payment plan available! Register now at CookCountyTreasurer.com. Second-Installment Cook County property taxes are due Dec. 15, for nearly 1.8 million Cook County properties. That…

Cook County, Maria Pappas, News, NewsWire, Taxes

Village of Orland Park Announces New Utility Billing System

November 30, 2025November 30, 2025 Ray Hanania No Comments

Village of Orland Park Announces New Utility Billing System The Village of Orland Park is introducing a new utility billing system designed to enhance the customer experience and improve day-to-day operations. The new system will provide customers with more flexibility in managing their utility account and streamline the overall payment process. As part of this…

Government, News, NewsWire, Orland Park, Suburban Chicagoland, Taxes

Homeowners shocked by tax hikes should read bills to find out where their money goes

November 30, 2025November 30, 2025 Ray Hanania No Comments

Homeowners shocked by tax hikes should read bills to find out where their money goes By Maria Pappas Record-high increases in property tax bills have angered many Cook County property owners. My office has released an analysis of the nearly 1.8 million tax bills. It showed that in Chicago the median tax bill jumped 16.7%,…

Blogger, Commentary, Cook County, Government, Maria Pappas, Opinion, Taxes

Treasurer Pappas welcomes visitors to ‘Christmas Trees from Around the World’ exhibit

November 27, 2025November 28, 2025 Ray Hanania No Comments

Treasurer Pappas welcomes visitors to ‘Christmas Trees from Around the World’ exhibit more countries and cultures represented than the Museum of Science and Industry’s Display For the 22nd year, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas is celebrating the ethnic holiday traditions of nearly 100 different nationalities in the free “Christmas Trees from Around the World” exhibit…

Cook County, Government, Maria Pappas, News, Taxes

Rickey Hendon urges freeze on property taxes and new regulations to address unjustified dramatic hikes

November 20, 2025November 20, 2025 News Editor No Comments

Rickey Hendon urges freeze on property taxes and new regulations to address unjustified hikes Former Senate leader Hendon urges Freeze on Property taxes, and proposes reforms during a press conference held at the Cook County Building on Thursday, November 20, 2025, Watch video of press conference below Rickey Hendon, former Illinois State Senator and former…

Government, Maria Pappas, News, NewsWire, Taxes, Videos

Loop’s declining value fuels record 16.7% jump in median property tax bill for Chicago homeowners

November 17, 2025November 17, 2025 Ray Hanania No Comments

Loop’s declining value fuels record 16.7% jump in median property tax bill for Chicago homeowners Homeowners in Black communities hit with biggest percentage increases A dramatic decline in the value of commercial property in Chicago’s Loop, the city’s longtime economic engine, fueled a record property tax increase on homes across the city, according to an…

Chicago, Cook County, Maria Pappas, News, NewsWire, Suburban Chicagoland, Taxes

Third-party notices tell you if a relative or anyone you know misses a tax payment

November 14, 2025November 14, 2025 Ray Hanania No Comments

Third-party notices tell you if a relative or anyone you know misses a tax payment By Maria Pappas Each year, thousands of property owners in Cook County are late paying their taxes, putting their homes in danger of being included in the annual state-mandated tax sale. That’s a problem we want to help you avoid. …

Cook County, Government, Maria Pappas, News, NewsWire, Taxes

Illinois expands property tax breaks for veterans to include World War II vets

October 31, 2025October 31, 2025 Ray Hanania No Comments

Illinois expands property tax breaks for veterans to include World War II vets By Maria Pappas Illinois lawmakers in recent years have enacted significant changes to property tax exemptions benefiting veterans, including a landmark provision for those who served during World War II. These changes underscore our commitment to support veterans in Cook County and…

Blogger, Commentary, Government, Maria Pappas, Opinion, Taxes

Get information on the Illinois Energy Omnibus Bill in Springfield

October 24, 2025October 24, 2025 News Editor No Comments

Get information on the Illinois Energy Omnibus Bill in Springfield Get information on the Illinois Energy Omnibus bill and how it could impact your electricity rates in Illinois. Consumers need to be aware of the full impact of the legislation. For more information, visit the website of the Illinois Industrial Energy Consumers, which provides updated…

Business, Energy, Environment, Government, Illinois Legislature, News, NewsWire, Taxes

Your Mortgage Company May Pay Your Taxes — But You Still Need to Watch

October 17, 2025October 17, 2025 Ray Hanania No Comments

Your Mortgage Company May Pay Your Taxes — But You Still Need to Watch By Maria Pappas, Cook County Treasurer Every year, my office mails more than 1.8 million tax bills to property owners across Cook County. If you have a mortgage, your lender may collect money from you each month and put it in…

Blogger, Commentary, Government, Maria Pappas, Opinion, Suburban Chicagoland, Taxes