House bill would merge Cook County forest preserve police with county sheriff

By Joe Barnas

03/14/2019

A bill in the Illinois House seeks to transfer policing authority from the Cook County Forest Preserve District to the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, potentially saving taxpayers millions.

TAGS: consolidation, Cook County, cook county forest preserve district, cook county forest preserve police, cook county sheriff, local government consolidation

Chicago anticipated to be nation’s weakest major housing market in 2019

By Orphe Divounguy, Bryce Hill

12/06/2018

A study by realtor.com ranks the Chicago region’s housing market slowest of 100 U.S. metro areas for 2019. That stat could be fixed, or made worse.

TAGS: Chicago, Cook County, home price index, housing, property taxes, taxes

Coke County: Townships overwhelmingly reject bringing back soda tax

By Joe Barnas

11/07/2018

Voters across seven Cook County townships strongly oppose a return of the sweetened beverage tax.

TAGS: Cook County, soda tax, Toni Preckwinkle

53,000 Cook County homeowners to receive $19.5M in property tax refunds

By Chris Lentino

08/03/2018

Millions in property tax refunds will go out to Cook County homeowners as early as Aug. 15.

TAGS: Chicago, Cook County, property taxes, Robert Martwick

Nearly a third of property tax revenue in Chicago is diverted into 143 TIF districts

By Chris Lentino

07/26/2018

Nearly a third of property tax revenue in Chicago is diverted into 143 TIF districts controlled by the mayor, nearly half of which are located in affluent neighborhoods.

TAGS: Chicago, Chicago City Council, Cook County, John F. Curran, property taxes, Rahm Emanuel, TIF: Tax Increment Financing, William Davis

Cook County property tax bills set to increase by 5 percent

By Joe Barnas

06/26/2018

Chicago homeowners will see their property tax bills rise by an average of $110 this summer. But suburban residents and business owners should also prepare for a hike.

TAGS: Cook County, Joseph Berrios, property taxes, taxes

Inspector general: Personnel, procedural errors cost Cook County hospital system $165 million in revenue

By Eric Kohn

05/18/2018

While the county hospital system loses out on revenue, county payroll and retirement costs continue to climb.

TAGS: Cook County, Cook County Health and Hospitals system, municipal pensions, pensions, Toni Preckwinkle

More than 80 percent of Illinois counties saw population loss in 2017

By Bryce Hill, Austin Berg

03/22/2018

As outmigration fuels population decline throughout the state, Cook County saw the largest numeric population loss of any county in the nation.

TAGS: collar counties, Cook County, outmigration, U.S. Census Bureau

Report: $800M of property tax burden in Chicago shifted onto poorer homeowners from 2011-2015

By Amy Korte

03/16/2018

University of Chicago researchers have found inaccurate and unfair assessments by the Cook County Assessor’s Office led to $800 million of the property tax burden shifting from owners of Chicago homes in the top 10 percent (by sale price) to owners of homes in the bottom 70 percent.

TAGS: Cook County, Joseph Berrios, property taxes

Bill would bar Cook County elected officials from working as lobbyists, owning lobbying firms

By Austin Berg

03/07/2018

Countywide elected officials would be barred from working as registered lobbyists or owning a lobbying firm under a new bill in the General Assembly.

TAGS: Cook County, Joseph Berrios, lobbying