Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas
Pappas to refund $25.4 million to taxpayers
Going to property owners who overpaid
From staff reports
Almost 11,500 property owners who overpaid their First Installment taxes will automatically get back $25.4 million in refunds this month, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said recently.
Almost 4,000 refunds go to homeowners who are receiving property tax exemptions. The value of those exemptions is applied to the Second Installment tax bill, reducing the total taxes due.
Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas
Pappas has tried to make homeowners aware of potential exemptions as she attends community events throughout Chicago and suburban Cook County.
“The outreach efforts of my office, along with the Black and Latino Houses Matter program, are helping homeowners become more aware of how they can reduce their property tax burden,” Pappas said.
To see if you are receiving a portion of the refunds, visit cookcountytreasurer.com, select the purple box labeled “Your Property Overview” and enter your address.
The refunds, which the Treasurer’s Office has started issuing, include:
- 5,137 homeowners who paid their property taxes online or by check will see funds electronically deposited to their bank or credit card accounts totaling $14.9 million.
- 5,484 homeowners who paid their taxes through a bank/mortgage escrow account will be mailed refund checks totaling $10.1 million.
- 808 homeowners who paid taxes totaling $412,177 in cash and will be mailed a refund application to ensure the proper party receives the refund Pappas launched the automatic refund program in July 2018.
Since then, 121,000 property owners have received about $82 million in refunds without having to fill out an application. As a reminder, Pappas added, Second Installment 2020 property taxes were due Friday, Oct. 1.
Local News
Sheriff Dart, State Sen. Collins propose legislation to ban ‘ghost guns’
From staff reports Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart and Illinois State Senator Jacqueline Collins have proposed legislation to ban “ghost guns”–homemade, untraceable weapons that are increasingly being found by police fighting Chicago area violence. “The rapid proliferation of these weapons is alarming, and they are intentionally being used by individuals who want to thwart…
Police reports
Two elderly men killed in Brighton Park Two elderly men were shot and killed in an apartment building in the 4400 block of South Campbell at about 1:40 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 7. Police said Juan Alvarado, 80, was found in a hallway with gunshot wounds to his chest and head. He was transported to Mount…
Pushback against vax
Some city workers say ‘No’ to shots By Tim Hadac As the Lightfoot Administration announced that all City of Chicago employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by today—or face disciplinary measures—some workers pushed back. One of the most public was 23rd Ward Ald. Silvana Tabares, who signed a letter of concern to the mayor–with…
FBI hunts ‘Bicycle Bandit’
Robbed banks in Bridgeport, Brighton Park, McKinley Park, Back of the Yards By Tim Hadac FBI agents continue to hunt for a serial criminal who has robbed four Southwest Side banks in recent months. Last week, the FBI’s Chicago Office reissued a community alert regarding a man they have dubbed the Bicycle Bandit because he…
Police warn of armed robberies on Archer
By Tim Hadac Police issued a community alert last week regarding two armed robberies that occurred last month in Garfield Ridge, in the parking lot of the Chase Bank branch at 5687 S. Archer. One crime occurred at 3:37 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15. The other was at 9:50 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29. The bandits were described as black…
Burglars hitting Chicago Lawn
From staff reports A cluster of burglaries in Chicago Lawn has prompted police to issue a community alert. Some of the places burglarized were businesses, while others were garages behind people’s homes. Crime scenes include: 6300 block of South Kedzie on Sept. 26. 5900 block of South Kedzie on Sept. 28. 6400 block of South…
Making 63rd and Spaulding vibrant
By Kathy Headley Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor 6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778 On Saturday, Oct. 2, Jeanette Arteaga held the official grand opening for Monarca Financial Services. As I mentioned last time, we met here, Jeanette opened her business at the corner of 63rd and Spaulding last winter when we…
Whaddya know, Miami Joe?
By Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place • (773) 284-7394 Thank you to “Miami Joe” for giving me a phone call this past week. Joe was a bartender at the old Miami Bowl. We enjoyed reminiscing about the good spots in the old neighborhood. One of them…
COVID-19 vax available at St. Gall
By Karen Sala Your correspondent in Gage Park (773) 471-1429 • [email protected] Today is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. October is Fire Prevention Month. Make sure you have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home. St. Gall School, 5515 S. Sawyer, is holding a COVID-19 vaccine clinic today and also on Nov. 15.…
Hunting for the right chicken recipe
By Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 Did you know that today is Chicken Cacciatore Day? Cacciatore means “hunter” in Italian, and it is hunters who first ate this dish centuries ago. I’ve made it several times. I basically brown chicken thighs in a little oil with onions. Then, I simmer…
Neighbors
CAPITOL RECAP: New congressional maps unveiled ahead of veto session
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – Democrats in the Illinois General Assembly released a proposed set of new congressional district maps Friday, just days before lawmakers return to the Statehouse for the start of their fall veto session, which begins Oct. 19. All states redraw their congressional districts following each decennial census. The proposed new…
UPDATED: New congressional maps unveiled ahead of fall veto session
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Democrats in the Illinois General Assembly released a proposed set of new congressional district maps Friday, just days before lawmakers return to the Statehouse for the start of their fall veto session, which begins Oct. 19. All states redraw their congressional districts following each decennial census.…
Tax summaries show Pritzkers made $5 million last year – not including family trusts
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker’s campaign released summary documents of his 2020 tax returns Friday, which showed the first family reporting $5.14 million in adjusted gross income, all from taxable interest and dividends. The campaign released seven pages summarizing the governor’s and first lady MK Pritzker’s returns, which…
Democrats release draft congressional maps
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Illinois lawmakers released the first draft of new congressional maps Friday, the latest step in a process that occurs every 10 years after the U.S. Census and could impact the balance of power in the U.S. Congress. The new maps are only a draft and will…
Report: Nursing homes in crisis with staff shortages
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A new report released Wednesday says staffing shortages at nursing homes in Illinois have reached crisis proportions and that people of color are most at risk of suffering the consequences. That’s because those individuals are more likely to live in understaffed facilities or in “ward” rooms…
Springfield transportation hub to relieve rail congestion
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A railway improvement project intended to greatly improve traffic congestion between St. Louis and Chicago reached a milestone Tuesday as work began on a multimodal transportation hub in the capital city. Gov. JB Pritzker was joined at a groundbreaking ceremony by U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and…
CAPITOL RECAP: Congressional redistricting hearings begin
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – The process of redrawing congressional district maps in Illinois got off to a slow start Thursday when only one person showed up to testify at the first legislative public hearing, which was held in Chicago. Ryan Tolley, policy director for the advocacy group CHANGE Illinois, urged the House Redistricting…
Task force considers changes to qualified immunity for Illinois law enforcement officers
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A new state task force continued discussions Thursday as to what changes could be made to the way state law approaches qualified immunity for law enforcement officers. Qualified immunity is a court doctrine granting protection for law enforcement officers and other government officials from certain civil…
Only one testifies at first congressional redistricting hearing
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The process of redrawing congressional district maps in Illinois got off to a slow start Thursday when only one person showed up to testify at the first legislative public hearing, which was held in Chicago. Ryan Tolley, policy director for the advocacy group CHANGE Illinois, urged…
Plaintiffs: New legislative maps dilute Latino vote
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Plaintiffs in two lawsuits challenging the state’s legislative redistricting plan have filed new complaints in federal court charging that the district maps that lawmakers approved in August dilute Latino voting power and thus violate the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Mexican…
