After several years of study and discussions, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) approved an intergovernmental agreement with Cook County for the MWRD to share services of the Cook County Office of the Independent Inspector General. The intergovernmental agreement allows for the Cook County Inspector General to serve as the Inspector General for the MWRD for a period of three years. The MWRD will provide an annual payment of $600,000 to the County, which will…
The Civic Federation supports Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi’s goals of a more accurate and transparent assessment system, as well as his goal of getting assessments right the first time, which will reduce the cost of appeals to taxpayers by reducing the number of appeals needed. Improved public confidence in property assessments would go a long way toward making the system as a whole more effective and equitable. Senate Bill 1379 and House Bill 2217 have been introduced in the 101st General…
The Civic Federation recently released its annual Effective Property Tax Rates report, which examines two- and ten-year trends in estimated effective tax rates for residential, commercial and industrial property in selected northeastern Illinois communities. The report highlights that in the ten-year period between tax years 2007 and 2016, effective tax rates increased in all of the selected communities, including in Chicago, suburban Cook County and the collar counties (Lake, McHenry, Kane,…
Click here to read the full report. Click here to read the press release for this analysis. AT A GLANCE This annual report compares estimated effective property tax rates in the six-county region of northeastern Illinois between 2007 and 2016, the last year for which data are available. Effective tax rates increased for all selected communities in the ten-year period analyzed. MAJOR FINDINGS Effective property tax rates are a measure of property tax burden…
2019 Civic Federation Legislative Priorities The Civic Federation's legislative priorities for 2019 include public employee pension reforms, consolidation of local government units in Illinois, enacting policies to rationalize the property tax system, creation of a Local Government Protection Authority, requiring the State of Illinois to build a rainy day fund, development and implementation of a capital improvement plan and improved…
Click here to read the full report. The Civic Federation supports Cook County’s proposed FY2019 budget of $5.9 billion because it is structurally balanced without raising new taxes and continues the practice of making supplemental pension payments. The Federation is encouraged by the County’s strong level of fund balance reserves and its commitment to performance-based budgeting and mid-year preliminary forecast hearings. The Federation further applauds the County’s continued…
Consumers of liquid nicotine in the City of Chicago will now pay more for liquid nicotine following the passage of Ordinance 2018-7371. Liquid nicotine products are used in e-cigarettes, also referred to as vaping. On September 20, 2018 Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel introduced Ordinance 2018-7371 to the City Council Finance Committee where it was passed by the Committee and within hours sent to and approved by the City Council. The ordinance increases the City of Chicago tax on liquid nicotine to…
Cook County Clerk David Orr’s office released the 2017 Cook County Tax Rates report on June 20, 2018 and shortly after, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas mailed the second installment of the 2017 tax bills. The calculation of the tax rates for the 1,400 taxing agencies in Cook County is the final step before property tax bills can be issued. The second installment of the 2017 property tax bills are due August 1, 2018. How are tax rates calculated? According to the Cook County Clerk’s…
Beginning in August 2018, establishments with liquor licenses in unincorporated areas of Cook County will be able to offer video gaming on automated gambling machines based on an ordinance amendment passed by the Cook County Board of Commissioners earlier this month. Video gaming refers to electronic video games that simulate games such as poker, line up and blackjack upon insertion of cash. The ordinance, sponsored by Cook County Commissioner Timothy Schneider and co-sponsored by…
Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner presented his FY2019 State budget proposal in February for the State fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2018. As discussed in an earlier blog post, the proposal included measures that would have affected local governments including municipalities, counties and transit agencies. The State of Illinois FY2019 enacted budget was passed by the Illinois General Assembly on May 31 and signed by Governor Rauner on June 4. This blog post provides an update on two of the…
