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  • Illinois Senator Michael Hastings addressing the Orland Township Democratic Organization Wednesday Oct. 12, 2022
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    Cook County Treasurer Pappas showcases Polish photographer’s first-ever American exhibit and honors Polish American Heritage Month in Chicago Cook County
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Tag: property taxes

Treasurer Maria Pappas sending $22 million in automatic refunds to more than 10,000 who overpaid property taxes

Posted on July 24, 2024July 24, 2024 By Ray Hanania No Comments on Treasurer Maria Pappas sending $22 million in automatic refunds to more than 10,000 who overpaid property taxes
Treasurer Maria Pappas sending $22 million in automatic refunds to more than 10,000 who overpaid property taxes

Treasurer Maria Pappas sending $22 million in automatic refunds to more than 10,000 who overpaid property taxes Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas is sending more than $22 million in automatic refunds to more than 10,000 property owners who overpaid their property taxes last year. “For many senior citizens and others, the value of tax breaks…

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

Paying tax bill online is easy and safe, but you can also pay by mail or in person 

Posted on July 13, 2024July 13, 2024 By Ray Hanania No Comments on Paying tax bill online is easy and safe, but you can also pay by mail or in person 
Paying tax bill online is easy and safe, but you can also pay by mail or in person 

Paying tax bill online is easy and safe, but you can also pay by mail or in person  By Maria Pappas Property owners face an Aug. 1 due date to pay their Second Installment 2023 tax bills. Many homeowners authorize their mortgage company to pay their two annual property tax installments from an escrow account….

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

Read your property tax bill Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas urges homeowners

Posted on July 10, 2024July 10, 2024 By Ray Hanania No Comments on Read your property tax bill Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas urges homeowners
Read your property tax bill Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas urges homeowners

Read your property tax bill Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas urges homeowners Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas urges homeowners hit by record property tax hikes to see ‘Where Your Money Goes’ by visiting her website which provides details and comparisons on where increases occurred Cook County taxpayers should read their property tax bills to better…

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

Treasurer Maria Pappas analysis shows record-high property tax increases for south suburban homeowners 

Posted on June 27, 2024June 27, 2024 By Ray Hanania No Comments on Treasurer Maria Pappas analysis shows record-high property tax increases for south suburban homeowners 
Treasurer Maria Pappas analysis shows record-high property tax increases for south suburban homeowners 

Treasurer Maria Pappas analysis shows record-high property tax increases for south suburban homeowners  Homeowners in many south and southwest suburbs will have to pay a lot more in property taxes as the median tax bill jumped a record 19.9% in the region, according to an analysis released today by Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas. The…

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Cook County, Government, Maria Pappas, News, Taxes

Treasurer’s website offers easy way to update property tax bill address information

Posted on May 20, 2024May 20, 2024 By Ray Hanania No Comments on Treasurer’s website offers easy way to update property tax bill address information
Treasurer’s website offers easy way to update property tax bill address information

Treasurer’s website offers easy way to update property tax bill address information By Maria Pappas My website, cookcountytreasurer.com, offers people an easy way to correct, change or update name and address information about where property tax bills are mailed. The best option is to electronically request the change online. You may request a change in…

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

Senior citizen exemptions help give homeowners a break on big tax bills 

Posted on April 20, 2024April 20, 2024 By Ray Hanania No Comments on Senior citizen exemptions help give homeowners a break on big tax bills 
Senior citizen exemptions help give homeowners a break on big tax bills 

Senior citizen exemptions help give homeowners a break on big tax bills  By Maria Pappas Senior citizens can get a break on their property tax bills, but they need to apply when seeking savings for the first time. The popular tax break is known as the Senior Citizen Homestead Exemption. For homeowners already receiving the…

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Baby Boomers, Blogger, Commentary, Cook County, Government, Maria Pappas, Opinion, Seniors, Suburban Chicagoland, Taxes

Top 10 tips that help homeowners better understand their property taxes 

Posted on March 27, 2024March 27, 2024 By Ray Hanania No Comments on Top 10 tips that help homeowners better understand their property taxes 
Top 10 tips that help homeowners better understand their property taxes 

Top 10 tips that help homeowners better understand their property taxes  By Maria Pappas Homeowners have taught me a few things about property taxes while I have served as Cook County Treasurer. One lesson is that the property tax system is complicated. Many people unfamiliar with the process have told me that they wished there…

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

Pappas: How a few voters control the fate of more than $1 billion in new spending

Posted on March 12, 2024March 12, 2024 By Ray Hanania No Comments on Pappas: How a few voters control the fate of more than $1 billion in new spending
Pappas: How a few voters control the fate of more than $1 billion in new spending

Pappas: How a few voters control the fate of more than $1 billion in new spending Statement from Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas This election season, voters throughout Cook County will decide whether to repair aging schools, improve a lake front beach, shut down a fire department and give local politicians new powers to tax….

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Blogger, Commentary, Cook County, Government, Maria Pappas, News, NewsWire, Opinion, Suburban Chicagoland, Taxes

Word of mouth helps homeowner get $6,805 refund for missed exemptions 

Posted on March 5, 2024March 5, 2024 By Guest Columnist 2 Comments on Word of mouth helps homeowner get $6,805 refund for missed exemptions 
Word of mouth helps homeowner get $6,805 refund for missed exemptions 

Word of mouth helps homeowner get $6,805 refund for missed exemptions  By Maria Pappas Word of mouth helped chef Gabriel Miranda of Hickory Hills obtain a $6,805 refund for missed homeowner exemptions. Miranda said he and his wife deposited the money into their savings account. Their monthly bills include private high school tuition for the…

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Blogger, Business, Commentary, Cook County, Government, Maria Pappas, Opinion, Suburban Chicagoland, Taxes

Pay your property tax bill online to avoid risk of check-washing fraud 

Posted on February 16, 2024February 16, 2024 By Ray Hanania No Comments on Pay your property tax bill online to avoid risk of check-washing fraud 
Pay your property tax bill online to avoid risk of check-washing fraud 

Pay your property tax bill online to avoid risk of check-washing fraud  By Maria Pappas As the March 1 due date approaches for Cook County property owners to pay their First Installment 2023 tax bills, I encourage people to pay online. It’s more convenient — and much safer. People who still pay their bills by…

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

Illinois program lets senior citizens defer up to $7,500 per year in property taxes

Posted on January 21, 2024January 21, 2024 By Ray Hanania 3 Comments on Illinois program lets senior citizens defer up to $7,500 per year in property taxes
Illinois program lets senior citizens defer up to $7,500 per year in property taxes

Illinois program lets senior citizens defer up to $7,500 per year in property taxes Your Property Taxes column with Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas By Maria Pappas Illinois offers senior citizens a property tax relief program that works like a loan. The Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral program allows qualifying seniors to defer up…

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Baby Boomers, Blogger, Commentary, Cook County, Maria Pappas, Opinion, Seniors, Suburban Chicagoland, Taxes

Slashed interest rate on late property tax payments could prevent home loss

Posted on December 16, 2023December 16, 2023 By Ray Hanania 2 Comments on Slashed interest rate on late property tax payments could prevent home loss
Slashed interest rate on late property tax payments could prevent home loss

Slashed interest rate on late property tax payments could prevent home loss By Maria Pappas As my office prepares for the Annual Tax Sale, we’re doing all we can to help people avoid losing their homes because of unpaid property taxes. One of the biggest legislative reforms to the Illinois property tax system in decades…

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Blogger, Commentary, Cook County, Guest Commentary, Maria Pappas, Opinion, Suburban Chicagoland, Taxes

New tool shows where property tax dollars go and informs fed up taxpayers

Posted on December 3, 2023December 3, 2023 By Guest Columnist 1 Comment on New tool shows where property tax dollars go and informs fed up taxpayers
New tool shows where property tax dollars go and informs fed up taxpayers

New tool shows where property tax dollars go and informs fed up taxpayers By Maria Pappas When I saw how recent property tax bills shocked and angered many Cook County homeowners I knew people needed to understand why their taxes are so high. I began hearing from frustrated homeowners before tax bills landed in early…

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Treasurer Maria Pappas unveils online tool detailing property tax spending as Dec. 1 tax due date looms

Posted on November 28, 2023November 28, 2023 By Ray Hanania No Comments on Treasurer Maria Pappas unveils online tool detailing property tax spending as Dec. 1 tax due date looms
Treasurer Maria Pappas unveils online tool detailing property tax spending as Dec. 1 tax due date looms

Treasurer Maria Pappas unveils online tool detailing property tax spending as Dec. 1 tax due date looms Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas today unveiled an innovative online tool that for the first time calculates year-to-year changes for each property tax bill and shows where tax dollars go. The search tool at cookcountytreasurer.com is available as…

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Chicago, Cook County, News, Suburban Chicagoland, Taxes

Pappas: School districts hiked property taxes on Cook County homes, businesses   

Posted on October 30, 2023October 30, 2023 By Ray Hanania No Comments on Pappas: School districts hiked property taxes on Cook County homes, businesses   
Pappas: School districts hiked property taxes on Cook County homes, businesses   

Pappas: School districts hiked property taxes on Cook County homes, businesses    An analysis of Cook County’s 1.8 million property tax bills for 2022 shows that school districts are chiefly responsible for hefty tax bills that are due Dec. 1, according to Treasurer Maria Pappas.  The median residential tax bill in the north and northwest…

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

Pappas: Property tax bills will soon be due. Are you getting all your exemptions?

Posted on October 15, 2023October 24, 2023 By Ray Hanania No Comments on Pappas: Property tax bills will soon be due. Are you getting all your exemptions?
Pappas: Property tax bills will soon be due. Are you getting all your exemptions?

Pappas: Property tax bills will soon be due. Are you getting all your exemptions? Your Property Taxes with Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas  By Maria Pappas If you own a home or other real estate in Cook County, chances are you will have a property tax bill due soon. Property taxes in Illinois are billed…

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Blogger, Chicago, Commentary, Cook County, Opinion, Suburban Chicagoland, Taxes

Pappas’ office helps Chicago couple get $2,447 property tax refund

Posted on September 15, 2023September 15, 2023 By Ray Hanania No Comments on Pappas’ office helps Chicago couple get $2,447 property tax refund
Pappas’ office helps Chicago couple get $2,447 property tax refund

Pappas’ office helps Chicago couple get $2,447 property tax refund Your Property Taxes with Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas  By Maria Pappas Many Cook County homeowners are losing thousands of dollars in savings because they are not taking advantage of property tax breaks. My office recently helped an older couple on Chicago’s North Side receive…

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Blogger, Commentary, Cook County, Guest Commentary, Maria Pappas, Opinion, Suburban Chicagoland, Taxes

Maria Pappas applauds passage of historic property tax reform law cutting the interest on late taxes

Posted on August 12, 2023August 12, 2023 By Ray Hanania No Comments on Maria Pappas applauds passage of historic property tax reform law cutting the interest on late taxes
Maria Pappas applauds passage of historic property tax reform law cutting the interest on late taxes

Maria Pappas applauds passage of historic property tax reform law cutting the interest on late taxes Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday signed into law historic reforms to fix long-standing racial inequities and abuses in the state’s property tax system spotlighted in two studies issued last year by Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas. Pappas’ property…

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Cook County, News, Suburban Chicagoland, Taxes

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  • OPINION
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    September 20, 2025
  • Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch speaking at a West Side affordable housing dedication
    Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, one of the best candidates to become Illinois Governor
    September 7, 2025
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    What You’re Missing on Your Property Tax Bill
    September 5, 2025
  • 05-23-25 Jeffery M. Leving
    Children of divorce caught in the middle during the holidays
    August 27, 2025
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    We Can Help You Understand Your Property Taxes—In Nearly Any Language
    August 8, 2025
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  • NEWS
  • Illinois Senator Michael Hastings addressing the Orland Township Democratic Organization Wednesday Oct. 12, 2022
    Hastings announces $75,000 grant for Olympia Fields Bicentennial Park renovations
    October 8, 2025
  • Alleged Member of Chicago Street Gang Charged With Soliciting the Murder of Senior Law Enforcement Official Involved in “Operation Midway Blitz”
    October 8, 2025
  • IIEC Logo
    The Energy Omnibus Bill will increase rates over the rest of this decade as Illinois families and businesses toil under higher utility costs
    October 8, 2025
  • Thaddeus Kosciuszko, Polish hero of the American Revolution. After arriving in America in 1776, Kosciuszko joined the Continental Army. As a skilled engineer, he made significant contributions to the war by designing fortifications for several strategic places such as Philadelphia, West Point, and Saratoga. Kosciuszko later returned to Poland to lead his native military in a 1794 uprising. In Detroit, Courtesy of WIkipedia
    Cook County Treasurer Pappas showcases Polish photographer’s first-ever American exhibit and honors Polish American Heritage Month in Chicago
    October 8, 2025
  • On Saturday, October 4th, Cook County Commissioner Frank J. Aguilar hosted the Fifth Annual 16th District Dia de los Muertos Resource Fair at his district office. Partnering with Commissioner Aguilar were the Village of Lyons, Lyons School District 103, Teamsters Local 777, and Rincon Family Services.
    Commissioner Frank J. Aguilar Hosts Fifth Annual Dia de los Muertos Family Resource Fair 
    October 8, 2025
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