CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill. – As part of her commitment to reduce property taxes, state Rep. Suzanne Ness, D-Crystal Lake, supported a measure to make it easier for seniors, veterans and persons with disabilities to access property tax relief.

“As families are still overcoming the financial hardships brought on by the pandemic, increasing property taxes place an additional burden on working families, particularly on those living on a fixed income,” said Ness. “We must do more to provide property tax relief to those who need it most, so this session I helped pass legislation to ensure that individuals who are eligible for property tax exemptions are able to receive that relief in full.” 

Ness helped pass House Bill 3289, which will allow chief county assessment officers to automatically approve 2021 homestead exemptions for those who received the exemption in 2020, including veterans and residents with disabilities and senior citizens. House Bill 3289 received bipartisan support and was recently signed into law by the governor. 

“As I meet and talk to residents in our community, high property taxes are consistently an area of top concern,” said Ness. “This measure is a good step in ensuring that our more vulnerable residents are receiving the property tax relief that is available to them, but the work cannot end here. I will continue to work across the aisle and support legislation to bring the needed property tax relief to families in our community.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – As part of his efforts to provide real property tax relief to local homeowners, state Rep. Justin Slaughter, D-Chicago, is highlighting a new law that will make it easier for senior citizens to access a valuable property tax relief program.

“Seniors in our community have worked really hard their entire lives to provide for their families and save for retirement,” Slaughter added. “Seniors are the heart and soul of our neighborhoods, and they shouldn’t have to choose between keeping their homes or buying groceries and medications. This bill will eliminate some of the red tape and bureaucracy in accessing senior property tax relief while reducing the paperwork older residents will have to complete every year. As property taxes continue to skyrocket, I’m committed to working to provide real property tax relief for working families and seniors on fixed incomes who can’t afford to continue to pay more.”

Currently, senior homeowners must apply annually to receive a Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption, which lowers seniors’ property tax bills by reducing a home’s assessed value by $8,000 in Cook County. Slaughter’s House Bill 833, which is now law, eliminates the annual application process and creates a 5-year pilot program in which seniors would not need to reapply each year to qualify for the property tax relief.

“Forcing seniors to reapply every year for the property tax relief that they are entitled to create an undue burden for senior homeowners,” said Slaughter. “This new law will ensure that seniors aren’t missing out on property tax relief that allows them to keep more money in their wallets and helps them to stay in their homes as they age.”

ALTON, Ill. –  To help residents learn more about their property tax bills and potential ways to lower them, state Rep. Monica Bristow, D-Alton, and state Sen. Rachelle Crowe, D-Glen Carbon, are teaming up with the Alton Township Assessor’s office to host property tax relief satellite office hours on Oct. 10 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Senior Services Plus.

“During our last satellite office hours with the Alton Assessor’s office, nearly every person who attended was able to learn about additional exemptions for which they qualified or find a way to save more on their annual property taxes,” said Bristow. “Lowering the tax burden has been one of my main focuses in Springfield, to help local homeowners save more of their hard earned money by expanding and creating new exemptions and hosting seminars like these to help provide more education to homeowners on ways to save money and lower their bill.”

Residents are encouraged to bring their most recent property tax bill to Senior Services Plus located at 2603 N. Rodgers Ave. in Alton on Oct. 10 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. A representative from the Alton Township Assessor’s office will be available to meet one-on-one with homeowners to review their bills to make sure they are receiving all the exemptions they qualify for. Residents can also learn more about interior reviews and other ways to lower their property taxes. While everyone is welcome to attend this free event, Alton Township residents will be able to receive more detailed information on what services are available to them.

“We know that property taxes are a main concern for area residents, and as members of the Property Tax Relief Task Force, we will continue to look for ways to fight overburdensome property taxes on hard working families,” said Crowe. “While Rep. Bristow and I continue to work on this issue in Springfield, I am glad we can offer some immediate help to residents through our property tax seminars and satellite office hours.”

GURNEE, Ill. – Working to ensure that her constituents receive the property tax relief they deserve, state Rep. Joyce Mason, D-Gurnee hosted a Property Tax Relief Seminar at Zion City Hall on Tuesday.

“During my first term in office, I’ve been fully committed to ensuring that my hard-working constituents aren’t overly burdened by high property taxes, which is why I’m eager to serve on the state’s Property Tax Relief Task Force,” Mason said. “This property tax relief seminar was a great way to help local homeowners learn how they can reduce their tax burdens as we explore creative new ways to give families meaningful and lasting relief on their property tax bills.”

Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim and Zion Township Assessor Larry Wicketts partnered in presenting information at the seminar. Attendees learned how the property tax relief assessment process works and which money-saving exemptions are available to homeowners and how to file a property tax appeal.

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ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Senior citizens will no longer have to reapply annually for their Cook County Senior Homestead Exemption thanks to legislation spearheaded by state Rep. Mark Walker, D-Arlington Heights.

“Our high property taxes are a burden for homeowners, especially for seniors on fixed incomes,” Walker said. “It was unnecessary for Cook County to require seniors to apply yearly for the homestead exemption. I backed this legislation because seniors in my district should be paying less in property taxes, and I want to make sure that everyone receives the exemption they deserve. It was too easy before for someone to lose out on their exemption because they forgot to submit some paperwork.”

Recently signed into law, House Bill 833 creates a five-year pilot program in Cook County that requires seniors to submit their homestead exemption only once instead of annually. The new law requires the Cook County Assessor’s office to list how many years a resident has until they must reapply.

“We hear too often about seniors being taxed out of the home they’ve lived in for decades,” Walker said. “Whether it’s passing commonsense legislation like this bill or finding smart solutions through the Property Tax Relief Task Force, I’m dedicated to lowering property taxes. This measure will help thousands of seniors save more of their hard-earned money.”

CHICAGO – State Rep. Yehiel “Mark” Kalish, D-Chicago, is working to bring property tax relief to local residents by hosting two property tax seminars this month in Skokie.

“When I go door-to-door, residents frequently mention the burden that rising property tax bills place on their budgets, Kalish said. “Any relief we can provide can go a long way. I encourage homeowners who would like to reduce their property taxes to stop by one of these two seminars, learn a bit more about the appeals process and hopefully receive some savings on their tax bill.”

Kalish’s seminars will feature a presentation by the Cook County Assessor’s Office explaining how residents can make an appeal and how appeals are granted. Attendees should bring a copy of their property tax bill or make sure to have their property index number (PIN) available to be able to start the appeals process.

The first seminar will take place on Sunday, Sept. 15 at 1:30 p.m. at the Skokie Campus of Oakton Community College located at 7701 Lincoln Ave. in Skokie. The second seminar will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Skokie Library located at 5215 Oakton St.

During the legislative session, Kalish backed two new laws that aim to provide property tax relief to homeowners. Kalish worked to pass Senate Bill 39, which establishes the Illinois Property Tax Relief Fund to provide annual property tax rebates on homeowners’ bills, and Senate Bill 1932, which creates the Property Tax Relief Task Force to review the best methods, both long-term and short-term, to provide property tax relief to families.

“While we continue to work toward long-term property tax relief for homeowners in Springfield, it’s important to me that my office is helping connect residents to services, like these property tax seminars, that can provide immediate savings,” Kalish said. “I look forward to continuing to work with all stakeholders to deliver real, long-term property tax relief for middle-class families.”

ALTON, Ill. – State Rep. Monica Bristow, D-Alton, recently partnered with the Alton Township Assessor and the Chief Madison County Assessor to host a series of events to help provide new information to residents about property tax exemptions and ways to help lower their bill.

“After having several groups of homeowners attend our property tax seminars and office hours, we found that many people are not taking advantage of the various tax exemptions available to them,” said Bristow. “These exemptions can help residents save hundreds or thousands each year on their tax bill, but many are unaware of the exemptions for which they qualified.”

On Aug. 22, Bristow hosted satellite office hours with Alton Township Assessor, Sheryl Beilsmith, and later hosted a seminar on Aug. 26 with Madison County Chief Assessor, Joe Dauderman. Presenters provided attendees with a brief overview of exemptions and then offered one-on-one conversations with residents to answer questions and ensure they were receiving any exemptions they were eligible for. Bristow will be hosting a second seminar with Dauderman at the Bethalto Senior Center, located at 100 E. Central Street in Bethalto on Sept. 3 at 6:00 p.m. and not on Sept. 6 as previously released. This is free event and no reservation is required. Residents are encouraged to bring a copy of their latest property tax.

“At both events, nearly everyone who attended was able to learn about exemptions they qualified for and were able to lower their tax bill,” said Bristow. “As a recently appointed member to the Property Tax Relief Task Force, I am glad I am already able to help lower local homeowner’s tax bills though exemptions currently being offered in Madison County.”

DES PLAINES, Ill. – As a long-time supporter of reigning in property taxes and helping seniors who are on fixed incomes, state Rep. Marty Moylan, D-Des Plaines, recently backed legislation to make it easier for senior homeowners to file for exemptions to save money on their property taxes.

“Each year it becomes more and more difficult for seniors living on fixed incomes to sort through the different property tax exemptions and credits available to them during the application process,” said Moylan. “This measure will help make filing for Senior Citizens Homestead Exemptions much easier and seemingly effortless, giving senior homeowners a little peace of mind.”

Moylan sponsored House Bill 833 which allows seniors who have previously received the Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption to not have to constantly reapply every year. The legislation states that if a senior homeowner has qualified for this certain exemption in the past, they will automatically receive the exemption every year going forward.

The Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption is an annual exemption available for all Illinois residents that are 65 years-of-age or older, who own a single family home and pay property taxes on the home. This legislation, which was signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker last week, will make it easier for them to file their taxes each year and receive the proper tax credits without going through an obscene amount of bureaucracy.

“I would like to thank Gov. Pritzker for taking the property tax burden on seniors seriously and signing this measure that will make it easier for senior homeowners in our state to save money on their property taxes,” said Moylan. “Seniors should be able to live out their golden years in peace, not spending their retirements filling out paperwork year-after-year.”

CHICAGO – State Rep. Camille Y. Lilly, D- Chicago, is highlighting the need for concrete property tax relief for Illinois homeowners.

“With the recent creation of the Illinois Property Tax Relief Fund and the Illinois Property Tax Relief Task Force, Illinois is closer than ever to delivering real property tax relief to homeowners,” Lilly said. “Far too many homeowners in our state are burdened by skyrocketing property taxes, even when their home values drop.”

Lilly backed Senate Bill 39 to create the Illinois Property Tax Relief Fund and Senate Bill 1932 to create the Illinois Property Tax Relief Task Force. Both measures were recently signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. The Property Tax Relief Fund will provide property tax rebates to homeowners who claim the general homestead exemption and the rebates will appear as a line item on the property tax bills of homeowners. The Property Tax Relief Task Force will identify offer specific policy recommendations for legislative and administrative reforms to create short- and long-term property tax relief for homeowners. Lilly has previously supported expanding property tax exemptions for homeowners and supported a multiyear, statewide property tax freeze.

“We need to send a message to Illinois homeowners that the days of out-of-control property taxes are coming to an end by not only providing direct property tax relief, but also reforming our broken property tax system,” Lilly said. “A critical part of my pledge to build a stronger Illinois is to institute fairer taxes for the middle class, and that can only happen by reducing the crippling burden of property taxes.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Thaddeus Jones, D-Calumet City, is applauding the enactment of vital property tax relief efforts to help homeowners save money and a new task force to offer solutions to lower taxes.

“Families across the South Suburbs have seen declining home values with skyrocketing taxes and little to no relief offered to them,” Jones said. “It is a critical step toward relief with these new policies in place. Overtime, homeowners will receive rebates to offset their taxes, and the task force will propose other ideas to lower property tax burdens further.”

Jones supported Senate Bill 1932, which creates the Property Tax Relief Task Force. The governor signed the measure into law, and the task force will produce a report outlining structural and legislative reforms that will provide both short- and long-term relief for homeowners. 

Jones also supported Senate Bill 39, which establishes the Illinois Property Tax Relief Fund. The fund will provide homeowners with annual rebates to lower their property taxes.

Jones is calling on Pritzker to remove the burdensome annual application requirement Cook County seniors currently face in order to receive the Senior Citizen Homestead Exemption, by signing House Bill 833. The measure would allow local seniors to keep their exemption without reapplying. Cook County is currently the only county in Illinois where seniors are legally mandated to complete and submit paperwork annually just to apply for the exemption.

Earlier this year, Jones passed House Resolution 56, which details his plan to revitalize the economy for the area and also foster more job growth. Included in his five-point plan to revitalize the local economy, property tax relief was a priority so homeowners could not only keep more of their money but help stimulate local businesses and job growth.

“Building a stronger Illinois will take a lot of work, but finding new ways to ease the burden of property taxes will be good for the middle class,” Jones said. “I look forward to the new efforts to lower taxes for middle-class families, and I will be a strong voice for our community in Springfield.”