Politics
A Month Late, First Installment of 2025 Cook County Property Tax Bills to Be Due April 1
Cook County property owners will have until April 1 to pay the first installment of their 2025 property taxes, with bills headed to their mailboxes by March 2, officials said.
First installment property tax bills are typically released in February and due in early March, but they will be delayed by one month by an overhaul of the county’s property tax system plagued with problems, as first reported by the Chicago Tribune and Injustice Watch.
The second installment of 2024 property tax bills was four months late, creating a cash crunch across the county that forced cities, school districts and other agencies to scramble to pay their bills.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Cook County Board Treasurer Maria Pappas — both facing reelection next month — said in a joint statement that the bulk of the problems had been solved, and promised to send the much-needed tax revenues to agencies no later than May 1.
“Our offices remain in close coordination to continue improving the system, with staff in regular communication throughout the day to keep the process moving forward,” Preckwinkle and Pappas said.
Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd Ward) has sought to capitalize on the delay in tax bills to boost his bid to defeat Preckwinkle in March’s Democratic primary.
Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi has also been blasted for the delay by his challenger, Lyons Township Assessor Pat Hynes, even though his office did not contribute to the delay.
Pappas, who has repeatedly criticized other county officials for the property tax bill delay, is running unopposed for reelection and is weighing a bid for Chicago mayor in 2027.
Bills will be available at cookcountytreasurer.com on Friday.
Taxpayers can also register to pay their property tax bill with monthly or twice-monthly payments and to develop plans to catch up on delinquent taxes over $100 via an online payment plan tool.
Note: This article was updated with more background on the bill's timing.
Contact Heather Cherone: @HeatherCherone | (773) 569-1863 | [email protected]
