SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — State Rep. Debbie Meyers-Martin, D-Matteson, issued the following response to Gov. Pritzker’s Budget address on Wednesday:

“In coming months, I will work with colleagues to craft a budget that works for everyone in Illinois, but the proposed budget we heard today is an encouraging framework on which to build that. Major expansions to childcare programs, pushing for affordable healthcare and especially new programs to support small businesses will help us build a stronger future for our state. I am also eager to pursue Governor Pritzker’s proposed legislation to streamline our health insurance eligibility regulations. Continuing fiscally-responsible spending of taxpayer dollars towards these priorities is essential.”

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MATTESON, Ill. — State Rep. Debbie Meyers-Martin, D-Matteson, is holding her ‘2nd Annual New Coat Drive for Women and Men and Toy Drive with Their Children’ in partnership with the Blessed Child Organization to benefit underserved families during the winter months.

“As we enter Illinois’ chilly winter months, it is especially important to consider the impact a lack of proper clothing can have, and what we can do for families who can’t afford it,” Meyers-Martin said. “I encourage the community to come out and support families who are having a difficult time right now, and ensure they have a happy and safe holiday season with generous donations of new coats for women and men and toys for kids.”

Donations will be accepted from Nov. 6 through Dec. 11, at four locations:

Debbie Meyers-Martin’s office, at 813 School avenue in Matteson, IL
Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Richton Park Community Center, at 4445 Sauk Trail, in Richton Park, IL
Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Hazel Crest Village Hall, at 3601 west 183rd street in Hazel Crest, IL
Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Country Club Hills City Hall, at 4200 west 183rd street in Country Club Hills, IL
Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, call 312-498-1106.

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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — State Rep. Debbie Meyers-Martin, D-Matteson, is announcing an opportunity for Chicagoland students to learn about developing technologies, convene workforce development partnerships and create interactive exhibits: the Illinois Innovation Challenge. The event will be held on Dec. 9, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at the Google Office in Chicago, on 320 North Morgan.

“Kids need opportunities to build up practical skills and develop original ideas, maybe nowhere more than in a rapidly-evolving field like computer science,” Meyers-Martin said. “This challenge is going to give hundreds of our kids that chance, as well as to hear from computer science experts. I encourage people who are interested to sign up soon, as spaces are limited.”

In addition to the innovation challenge portion of the event, there will be multiple seminars to learn about computer science and other emerging technologies. The event is being put on by the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology in partnership with HIGH-TECH-CHI, Chicago’s Department of Family and Support Services, CS for Success and Discovery Partners Institute.

Participants must be between 12-20 and be residents of the state of Illinois. Registration is required. To register and learn more details, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/high-tech-chi-tickets-735862874667?aff=oddtdtcreator.

“In addition to fostering learning, events like this help our kids build confidence and individualism, and help them feel comfortable in spaces that can be intimidating, such as computer science,” Meyers-Martin said. “Illinois is growing into a nationwide leader in new technologies, and this event will bring us closer to that goal.”

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OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. – State Rep. Debbie Meyers-Martin, D-Olympia Fields, is celebrating yet another step in rebuilding the state’s fiscal house as Illinois has earned its ninth credit upgrade rating in two years.

“I was proud to help pass this year’s budget which reflects Illinoisans’ desire for fiscal responsibility,” Meyers-Martin said. “I am committed to repairing the calamitous effects of the Rauner administration’s budget impasse and major financial institutions are taking note.”

Ratings reflect a state’s credit quality. This most recent increased credit rating from Fitch Ratings highlights the growing strength and stability of Illinois’ fiscal house and allows the state to borrow at a lower interest rate, thereby saving taxpayers millions of dollars each year. Two other major financial institutions, S&P Global and Moody’s, have also increased Illinois’ credit rating to an “A” or “stable” rating.

“This most recent credit rating increase moves the goals of this year’s budget forward. Instead of being bogged down by higher interest rates, Illinois will have more funds to repair our roads, improve our schools and provide vital services to seniors.”

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Chief Sponsors: Rep. Debbie Meyers-Martin (HB 1238) and Sen. Robert Peters (SB 74)

The inclusion of owner-occupied homes in the Cook County annual tax sale puts people at risk of losing their home solely for delinquent property taxes purchased by investors motivated by profit, without regard for the long-term impact on families and communities.

Black and Brown homeowners and communities, seniors, and those with disabilities are especially negatively impacted by this. The current system makes it harder for households to transfer wealth, contributing to the racial wealth and homeownership gaps.

Our proposed law would allow Cook County homeowners to pay delinquent property taxes on a payment plan. As long as taxpayers are in good standing with the payment plan, they would not be subject to the tax sale. Interest collected on the delinquent payments would go to local taxing districts, not tax purchasers.

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Cook County property tax bills are starting to hit mailboxes, with taxpayers getting an extra month to pay their first installments this year.

The first installment — 55% of a property owner’s total tax bill from the previous year’s assessment — for tax year 2022 are due before 11:59 p.m. April 3.

Why did my bill increase?
In 2021, Chicago was reassessed, leading to a 4% increase in the county’s 2022 property tax bill, with the bill totaling $16.7 billion. Tax bills for more than 406,000 residential properties increased, while nearly 318,000 went down.

There are various reasons a property tax bill can increase, such as home values going up in a community due to development. Local governments can also increase their tax levies to help pay for operations or to make up for property tax refunds they issue because of overassessment errors.

Last year’s bills also reflected a reversal of the COVID-19 adjustment Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi applied to 2020 property values, which led to lower property tax bills in 2021 but an even bigger jump in 2022 bills after properties in Chicago were reassessed.

Many quickly-gentrifying Latino communities on the North and Northwest sides saw the largest increases, while many Black neighborhoods on the South and West sides saw big drops in their bills.

Many property owners in the north and northwest suburbs can expect similar tax hikes this year from the reversal of the COVID-19 adjustment, with bills in the south and southwest suburbs likely to follow the same pattern next year.

How do I pay my bill?
Cook County residents can pay their property taxes in five ways. Payments can be made online at cookcountytreasurer.com, at any Chase Bank in Illinois, at more than 100 community banks if the taxpayer is an account holder, by mail or at the treasurer’s office at 118 N. Clark St., Room 112, Chicago.

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Real Estate
Cook County property taxes are due April 3. Here’s what to know.
By Lizzie Kane
Chicago Tribune
•
Mar 05, 2023 at 8:39 am
Aerial view of 18th Street in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago on Oct. 15, 2020.

Aerial view of 18th Street in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago on Oct. 15, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)

Cook County property tax bills are starting to hit mailboxes, with taxpayers getting an extra month to pay their first installments this year.

The first installment — 55% of a property owner’s total tax bill from the previous year’s assessment — for tax year 2022 are due before 11:59 p.m. April 3.

State lawmakers extended the due date from March 1 because second installment bills were delayed last year, with Cook County residents receiving them four months late and bills coming due Dec. 30 instead of Aug. 1.

[ Para leer en español, haga clic aquí ]

Many taxpayers experienced sticker shock after receiving their bills last year, as new assessments that took place in 2021 hit Chicago residents’ bills in 2022. The suburbs saw similar hikes following the 2020 and 2019 assessment cycles.
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Cook County properties are reassessed on a triennial basis, meaning that one-third of the county is reassessed each year. New property values are not reflected until the second installment of annual property tax bills the year after the reassessment.

This year’s first round of bills were mailed March 1 and are available online at cookcountytreasurer.com. The Cook County treasurer’s office website can be translated into dozens of languages beyond English.

Here’s what to know about the latest bills.
Why did my bill increase?

In 2021, Chicago was reassessed, leading to a 4% increase in the county’s 2022 property tax bill, with the bill totaling $16.7 billion. Tax bills for more than 406,000 residential properties increased, while nearly 318,000 went down.

There are various reasons a property tax bill can increase, such as home values going up in a community due to development. Local governments can also increase their tax levies to help pay for operations or to make up for property tax refunds they issue because of overassessment errors.

Last year’s bills also reflected a reversal of the COVID-19 adjustment Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi applied to 2020 property values, which led to lower property tax bills in 2021 but an even bigger jump in 2022 bills after properties in Chicago were reassessed.

Many quickly-gentrifying Latino communities on the North and Northwest sides saw the largest increases, while many Black neighborhoods on the South and West sides saw big drops in their bills.

Many property owners in the north and northwest suburbs can expect similar tax hikes this year from the reversal of the COVID-19 adjustment, with bills in the south and southwest suburbs likely to follow the same pattern next year.

How do I pay my bill?
Cook County residents can pay their property taxes in five ways. Payments can be made online at cookcountytreasurer.com, at any Chase Bank in Illinois, at more than 100 community banks if the taxpayer is an account holder, by mail or at the treasurer’s office at 118 N. Clark St., Room 112, Chicago.
Can I appeal?

Unfortunately, most residents have missed the window to knock down their assessment in the hopes of lowering their most recent bill.

If residents failed to receive an exemption they deserved — like for homeowners or seniors — they can bring that up to the Cook County Assessor’s Office and immediately obtain a corrected bill.

There will be an opportunity to appeal 2023 assessments later this year with the Assessor’s Office. If residents believe there has been an error made in their property tax assessment, they can appeal online at https://www.cookcountyassessor.com/online-appeals. Property owners typically have 30 days after their assessment to file an appeal.

Appeals for 2022 assessments can still be filed at the Cook County Board of Review for certain townships. If the Board finds in a property owner’s favor, that reduction wouldn’t apply until this summer’s upcoming bills. The Board can be reached at 312-603-5542 or appeal forms can be found at https://www.cookcountyboardofreview.com/residential-appeals.

Source and full article: https://www.chicagotribune.com/real-estate/ct-biz-property-tax-bills-explainer-first-installment-2023-20230303-k6kliuvcuzbjpe5vg67acaobea-story.html

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Elected officials across Cook County agree that the antiquated, red tape-laden system that punishes vulnerable homeowners who fall behind on their taxes needs to be fixed.

That’s where the agreement ends.

Backed by different groups, three state legislators have introduced differing bills all designed to throw life rafts to homeowners who are behind on their property tax bills. They aim to revamp a system that gouges delinquent property owners in the best of cases and forces them from their homes at worst.

More than 45,000 properties were entered last year into Cook County’s latest annual tax sale, which lets investors pay homeowners’ late taxes and then charge them interest on the penalty. If the homeowners don’t pay, the tax buyers can start a process to seize their property.

Nearly half the property owners owed less than $1,000 in taxes at the time their properties went into the bid process, according to county Treasurer Maria Pappas’ office. The tax sale process led to 25 evictions in 2020, the most recent year for which complete data was collected, an Illinois Answers Project investigation found last year.

Now, Pappas is backing a bill in the Illinois state legislature designed to make it easier for homeowners to pay off their tax debt so they don’t join the list.

“In these inflationary times, we just want to help everyone across the board get through it,” the treasurer said in an interview Friday.

Interest rate bill
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago), would halve the penalty for late taxes from 1.5% to 0.75% for every month the bills go unpaid. It would also end the county’s practice of adding an instant 12% interest penalty for any homeowner whose property is entered into the annual tax sale and does not get a bid.

Cutting the county’s interest rate, which Pappas called one of the highest in the country, was one recommendation from a 2022 study the treasurer’s office produced that linked property tax delinquency to the legacy of redlining and other racist government-sponsored housing practices in the early 20th Century. Researchers in the tax collection office estimate that cutting the penalties in half could save vulnerable taxpayers up to $35 million per year.

“A lot of the savings is going to go to…Black and brown communities,” Pappas said. “If the interest on debt doesn’t rise so quickly, the amount needed to pay tax bills in full would be lowered dramatically. So, we just think it’s simple math.”

Villivalam’s bill is paired with a companion proposal from Pappas that would close loopholes in the county’s “sale in error” system that let tax buyers claim refunds on tax bills they bought. A separate study from the treasurer’s office found last year that investors have widely abused the refunds at taxpayers’ expense.

Neither bill would touch the treasurer’s depleted indemnity fund, which is designed to reimburse evicted homeowners for the equity on the properties they lost. As of last year, more than 200 evicted homeowners were still waiting for more than $22 million they were collectively owed from the indemnity fund.

That’s where a separate proposal from State Rep. Margaret Croke (D-Chicago) claims a fix.

Indemnity fund bill
Croke introduced a trio of bills backed by the Chicago Bar Association, which is generally allied with tax buyers. In an interview on Monday, Croke said the bills “seem like no-brainers” that would “add clarification and transparency” to the convoluted tax sale process.

One proposal would require homeowners to repay an additional 2.5% interest penalty for every payment that tax buyers make after they’ve made a purchase. The added payments would feed directly into the indemnity fund.

“We’re looking at the indemnity fund becoming completely insolvent,” Croke said. “People who lose their homes through this process need money now, and they can’t wait over six years to be paid. That’s what’s happening now with the indemnity fund.”

The added fee, which would have to be paid upfront by the tax buyers, is meant to “incentivize” tax buyers to enter into repurchase agreements that would return control to the homeowners, she said.

The North Side legislator called the added interest charge on property owners “a necessary evil” since the fund needs to be replenished and tax buyers did not agree to covering the penalty themselves.

But Pappas says the proposal cuts against her goal of lowering interest penalties that she says have gotten out of hand. Pappas pointed to a law passed in 2021 that “snuck in” an extra 5% penalty on late taxpayers that is already feeding into the indemnity fund.

“We need to find a way to replenish the indemnity fund, but this just isn’t the answer,” the treasurer said of Croke’s bill. “Instead of lessening the burden on struggling taxpayers, it’s going to increase their burden.”

Terry Carter, an advocate with the Chicago Bar Association, countered that the 2021 law has not done enough to cut down the indemnity fund payment backlog, which still stands at more than six years.

“Folks have to wait seven or eight years to get paid if they’re entitled to get their equity back,” Carter said. “If we can get this [fund] flush, then anybody who loses property can file a lawsuit to get their equity out.”

Carter also denied that Croke’s proposal was counterproductive to Pappas’ plan, which he said he and his colleagues at the bar association support.

The added interest penalty he supports is “in essence, an insurance policy, and it’s only being applied to people that don’t pay their taxes on time for two years in a row,” he said.

Tax payment plan bill
Leaders of the nonprofit Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago have joined the fray with their own idea to prevent struggling homeowners from sliding into tax delinquency. Their bill, sponsored by Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago) and Rep. Debbie Meyers-Martin (D-Olympia Fields), would require the Cook County treasurer to set up an installment plan to pay their tax obligations over time. Homeowners in “good standing” with the plan would not be allowed to be entered into the annual tax sale.

“Our neighborhood staff has been stressing for years how devastating the impacts of the tax sale can be for resident families,” said Sarah Brune, policy director for Neighborhood Housing Services. “There are many scenarios where someone may have paid off their entire mortgage, but they may be behind on their taxes by…$500, and they’re simply not able to come up with that money.”

The bill Brune supports calls for county officials to set up monthly payment plans, which she said could “help tremendously.”

“A lot of people do their budgeting monthly [and] are used to making monthly payments but may not be able to come up with a large lump sum all at once,” Brune said.

But Pappas, whose office would be responsible for managing the payment plan, dismissed the idea as infeasible and “unconstitutional.”

“You can’t just say, ‘hey treasurer, set up a plan.’ You can’t do that,” Pappas said. “If you’re going to come to me with a payment plan, let’s give it a year to study it…and let’s come to a mutual conclusion.”

Brune acknowledged that “a lot more stakeholders” will need to weigh in on the payment plan proposal before it can take effect. She said authors of the bill plan to file an amendment that would create a “task force” charged with making policy recommendations.

Brune added that she and her colleagues “absolutely support” Pappas’ bill to lower interest penalties, saying the lower rates “will help more people pay on time and stay in their homes.”

As of Tuesday, none of the bills aimed at tweaking the tax sale rules had been considered in committee.

Source and full article: https://illinoisanswers.org/2023/03/01/officials-search-for-legislative-fixes-to-cook-countys-convoluted-tax-sale-system/

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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — In response to the release of police body camera footage showing the killing of Tyre Nichols at the hands of five Memphis officers, the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus (ILBC) released the following statement:

“The release of police body camera footage makes clear what we already knew: the murder of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols was brutal and unjustified. Our deepest condolences are with his family and all those who knew and loved him. The police officers who beat this young man to death have no place in law enforcement, and were rightly dismissed. Still, this is not enough. These officers callously and viciously killed another human being and Mr. Nichols’ family deserves justice.

“For the people who are angry, for the people who are sick of living in fear, we will always stand with you in the fight for justice. We are proud of the steps we’ve taken in Illinois, including passing major criminal justice reforms as part of our four-pillar agenda two years ago, but there is still much more work to do.”

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