Cook County

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Modernization Report Calls for Increased Transparency in Cook County’s Operations

On Monday the Civic Federation released the Cook County Modernization Report, which provided leaders of Cook County with ideas for improving and reshaping county…

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Cook County Modernization Report

The purpose of the Cook County Modernization Report is to provide leaders of the County with ideas for reshaping and refining County government that will improve service delivery to residents while reducing wasteful spending and decreasing…

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Frequently Asked Questions About the Civic Federation’s Cook County Modernization Report

Q: Why has the Civic Federation produced the Modernization Report? A: Cook County’s ability to continue to provide to the public health services, law enforcement and judicial services, tax administration, and official records-keeping is…

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A Brief Introduction to Cook County

With an estimated 5,287,037 residents, Cook County is the most populous county in the State of Illinois and the second most populous county in the United States, coming only after Los Angeles County in California.…

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The Effect of TIF Districts on Property Tax Rates in Cook County

Tax increment financing (TIF) districts do not freeze property tax revenue available to other taxing districts in Cook County; the principal effect of TIF is to raise tax rates higher than they otherwise would have been.…

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Why Is It So Difficult to Predict Changes in Property Tax Bills?

Cook County second installment property tax bills are expected to come out late…

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The Cook County Modernization Report

100-Day Accountability Report This 100-Day Accountability Report gives a progress update on recommendations to reform…

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The Cook County Property Tax Extension Process: a Primer on Levies, Tax Caps, Tax Bills and the Effects of Tax Increment Financing Districts

The purpose of this report is to describe how property taxes are extended in Cook County, Illinois. It defines tax extension, explains the mechanics of calculating rate limits and tax caps, and describes the effects of Tax Increment…

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Cook County Transparency Initiative

The Cook County Transparency Initiative provides citizens of the County access to transition reports, commissioner reports and research about attempts to reform Cook County. Its purpose is to improve the public's access to informationabout…

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Effective Property Tax Rates 1999-2008: Selected Municipalities in Northeastern Illinois

This report compares effective property tax rates in selected communities around metropolitan Chicago and finds that while all communities’ effective tax rates increased in 2008, rates have mostly declined since 1999. The report also finds…