Chicago homeowners demand answers, speak out at 'property tax bonfire'

Chicago homeowners are asking for answers as property tax bills continue to climb, with several residents saying they've seen little improvement in return.

In Lawndale, a neighborhood on Chicago's West Side, residents told ABC7 Chicago that despite higher property tax bills, little has changed on their streets, leaving them frustrated over where their money is going. Community leaders and the Lawndale Christian Development Corporation gathered citizens at a local church for what they called a "property tax bonfire," the local station reported.

"There's been a divestment in this community for the most part, but it seems like now that people have found an interest in reclaiming the neighborhood, now it's like we're being taxed for prosperity," Lawndale resident Milton Clayton told the outlet.

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Thomas Worthy, another Lawndale resident, said he received a bill in mid-November that was $977 more than what he paid last year.

"The tax increase is tied to a TIF that I have no idea why," Worthy said. "It's collecting money from our neighbors and our streets, but we're not being notified for why it's in the bill."

A TIF, or tax increment financing, is a funding tool that uses the increase in property tax revenue within a designated area to fund local redevelopment and infrastructure projects, according to the City of Chicago's government website.

"We understand utilities are going up and things of that nature, but it's a valuation issue," Worthy added. "We don't have the schools we need. It's economics that are not here, but we're being charged to pay for economics in other people's communities."

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The Illinois Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research organization, found more than half of a Chicago homeowners' property tax bill goes to Chicago Public Schools.

"Illinoisans pay the second-highest property tax rate in the U.S., shelling out about 2.07% of their property's value each year. That's more than double the national rate," the organization noted. "It's even worse in Cook and the collar counties. Cook County in 2022 ranked among the nation's 100 most expensive for property taxes, with property taxpayers spending more than the typical homeowners in California's Orange County, Los Angeles County or San Diego County."

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is facing pushback from City Council members over his proposal to extract a record $1 billion from TIF districts to balance his $16 billion 2026 budget, The Chicago Tribune reported in late October.

The proposal would draw funds from 68 of the city's 108 TIF districts, including several on the South and West Sides, raising concerns among aldermen about potential delays in long-promised neighborhood improvements.

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Supporters say the move would shore up city finances and boost school funding.

Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said at a Chicago Rainbow PUSH Coalition event Saturday that homeowners can find property tax bill payment plans for up to 13 months.

"You do not have to pay your bill on Dec. 15," she told residents. "You hear that? You don't have to pay it. Let me tell you why. We went to Springfield last year and set up a payment plan."