Crain's Chicago Business: Assessor Houlihan charges plot to delay property bills post-election

Crain's Chicago Business ^ | 3-31-10 | Greg Hinz

[Mrs_Stokke]

A long-brewing political war over Cook County property taxes has gone nuclear with charges that tax bills are being delayed intentionally until after the November elections to disguise big tax breaks to politically connected businesses and higher levies on homeowners.

snip

At his [Houlihan's] press conference, he said that the County Board of Review — which doublechecks and revises proposed property assessments made by Mr. Houlihan's office — "is engaged in a deliberate effort to delay second-installment property tax bills until after the Nov. 2 election."

[Mrs_Stokke]

Cook County and the collar counties were protected from massive property tax increases by a tax cap (similar to California's Prop 13). Unlike Prop 13, the Illinois tax cap was temporary. Somehow, this year, it failed to get renewed.

. . . the bills will "shift" taxes to homeowners because the board of review, whose three members include Madigan ally Mr. Berrios, "is preparing to grant large assessment reductions to commercial properties," Mr. Houlihan continued.

What happens when people default on their property taxes? The state gets the land. What will the state do with vacant homes? It's not as though people are clamoring to buy Illinois property, especially when the property was abandoned because the owners could no longer afford the taxes.

[KeyLargo]

[Bigg Red]

I hope this fellow has a large security detail.

[Mrs_Stokke]

That was the first thing I said when my husband told me about this article.

[Mrs_Stokke]

Isn't The Chicago Way a democrat training manual?