Chicago homeowners frustrated as property tax bills continue to climb

Chicago homeowners are demanding answers as property tax bills continue to rise, and some residents say they’ve seen little improvement in return.

Residents of the Lawndale neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side He told ABC7 Chicago Despite high property tax bills, little has changed on their streets, he said, leaving them frustrated with where their money is going. Community leaders and the Lawndale Christian Development Corporation gathered citizens at a local church for what they called a “property tax bonfire,” the local station reported.

“There’s been mostly a purge in this community, but now people seem interested in taking the neighborhood back, it looks like we’re being taxed for prosperity now,” Lawndale resident Milton Clayton said in a statement to the press.

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Thomas Worthy, another Lawndale resident, said he received a bill in mid-November that was $977 more than he paid last year.

“The tax increase is tied to a TIF, I don’t know why,” Worthy said. he said. “We collect money from our neighbors and our streets, but we are not informed why this is included in the bill.”

A TIF or tax increment financing, a financing tool This uses the increase in property tax revenue in a designated area to fund local redevelopment and infrastructure projects, according to the City of Chicago government website.

“We know utilities are increasing and those kinds of things are happening, but it’s a valuation issue,” Worthy added. “We don’t have the schools we need. The economy doesn’t exist here, but we are accused of paying for the economy in other people’s communities.”

The “Greetings from Chicago” mural lights up a street in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood on March 30, 2018. (Patrick Gorski/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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Illinois Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research organization I found more than half A portion of Chicago homeowners’ property tax bill goes to Chicago Public Schools.

“Illinois pay the second-highest property tax rate in the United States, spending approximately 2.07% of their property’s value each year. That’s more than double the national rate,” the organization said. he said. “The situation is even worse in Cook and Collar counties. Cook County ranked among the nation’s 100 most expensive counties for property taxes in 2022, with property taxpayers spending more than typical homeowners in California’s Orange County, Los Angeles County or San Diego County.”

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is pushing back from City Council members on his proposal to pull a record $1 billion from TIF districts to balance the $16 billion 2026 budget. Chicago Tribune reported In late October.

The proposal would pull funding from 68 of the city’s 108 TIF districts, including several on the South and West Sides, raising concerns among city council members about potential delays in long-promised neighborhood improvements.

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Supporters say the move would bolster the city’s finances and increase school funding.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson testifies at a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing with sanctuary city mayors at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Graeme Sloan for the Washington Post via Getty Images)

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Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said in Chicago: Rainbow PUSH Coalition event On Saturday, homeowners can find plans to pay property tax bills for up to 13 months.

“You do not have to pay your bill on December 15,” he said to the citizens. “Did you hear that? You don’t have to pay. I’ll tell you why. We went to Springfield last year and worked out a payment plan.”