Commissioner Samantha Steele

Since taking office in 2022, I’ve remained committed to ensuring fair wages, strong benefits, and workplace stability for Board of Review staff. I have long advocated to unionize our employees to strengthen protections and ensure fair representation.

Today, my colleagues and I ratified the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with AFSCME Council 31, Local 3696, advancing workplace conditions and job security for our staff.

Thank you to our union leadership, employees, and Cook County partners for their collaboration in reaching this agreement!

Last night, my team and I had the opportunity to speak at the opening of Wintrust’s new River North location and educate attendees about the property tax system. From homeowners to business owners and bankers, it was great to connect with so many people and help them better understand the commercial and residential appeal process.

Thank you to Wintrust for having us and for creating space for these important conversations and community education opportunities.

May is Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM)!

JAHM has been recognized on a federal level since 2006, when the month was dedicated to commemorate the arrival of Brazilian Jewish refugees to "New Amsterdam," or modern day Manhattan, New York (WorldJewishCongress.org).

Chicago's Maxwell Street Market (pictured) was established by Eastern European Jewish immigrants in the late 1800s (Chicago.gov). Today, a large Jewish population resides in Northwest Cook County, including much of District 2.

In Cook County, residential property and vacant land are assessed at 10% of their market value, and commercial property is assessed at 25% of its market value.

But what is regarded as more valuable — the property itself, or the land it sits on?

Although the assessed value of each is calculated separately, one tax rate is applied.

A split-rate tax is an approach aimed at incentivizing development by shifting more of the tax burden to land.

Happy Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month!

One local legislator with South Asian heritage who is making waves in property tax reform is Nabeela Syed.

📢 Want to reduce your second installment property tax bill? Good news, the application deadline has been extended to May 15!

Homeowners, seniors who may qualify for the Senior “Freeze,” and anyone who thinks they may be eligible for additional exemptions are encouraged to visit the Cook County Assessor’s website to explore available options.

You can also still claim missed exemptions from 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 if you were eligible, potentially unlocking additional savings. Visit CookCountyAssessor.com/Exemptions to learn more.

Be sure to share this information with neighbors and friends who might benefit!

When examining all 50 U.S. states, policy differences create differences in property tax systems.

The need for high property tax rates varies between "1) heavy property tax reliance, with low sales and income taxes, 2) low home values that drive up the tax rate needed to raise enough revenue, and 3) higher local government spending and better public services" or a combination of those reasons, according to a new study from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and Minnesota Center for Fiscal Excellence.

Read the study or its Executive Summary here: https://ow.ly/YSPL50YRYJI

Illinois values properties according to their fair market value for taxation purposes.

As we discuss funding sources and how property tax dollars are used, it’s important to understand how that value is determined.

🌳 Arbor Day falls during Earth Month as a reminder to plant and save trees. 🌳

Since 2015, one way the Board of Review (BOR) saves trees is by digitizing all of its documents.

Each year, the BOR handles hundreds of thousands of property tax appeals from all over the county. Each file used to contain at least one sheet of paper, and some files contained hundreds of sheets of paper if they included appraisals or other evidence.

By digitizing all of these documents, the BOR became more eco-friendly, made submitting an appeal more readily accessible, and also saved costs associated with printing and storage!

Join my team and me on Thursday, May 7 at 4:00 PM as we celebrate the grand opening of Wintrust Mortgage’s new branch!

📍 640 N. LaSalle Dr., Suite 282

I’ll be sharing insights on best practices for residential and commercial property tax appeals, along with key do’s and don’ts to help navigate the process effectively.

We’d love to see you there!