Cook County Commissioner Liz Gorman explained the huge increase in property taxes Cook County homeowners were notified of this week in an email to her constituents ...
This past week brought property tax bills to the mailboxes of Orland Park residents with most homeowners seeing a steep rise in their taxes. As a fellow Orland Park resident, I personally saw a 31.32% increase in my own property taxes so I’m very aware of the excessive taxation. In our household and throughout many others in our village we were surprised to find a massive increase in our taxes even though property values might have leveled off or even dropped some over the last 12 to 18 months. The reason for this discrepancy is because this year’s tax bill actually reflects 2008 taxes which were assessed from 2005, 2006 and 2007 property values.
When analyzing your property tax bill you will find that the largest portion of your bill goes to your local public school districts. Nearly 70% of your tax bill could be allocated to local schools. To identify other “high tax” sources look closer at the breakdown of the local taxing bodies listed within your bill and you will be surprised by some of the numbers.
With the election season fast approaching you will start hearing rhetoric from candidates making claims of holding the line on taxes while in public office. You can fact-check those statements directly against your own property tax bills to see if they are actually true. Take for example the Orland Fire Protection District which comprises 12.51% of your tax bill which is more than the Village of Orland Park at 11.28% and even Cook County government at 6.86%. You will also find a 26% tax increase from the Orland Fire Protection District in just one taxing cycle from 2007 to 2008, a staggering increase. This explains why the Orland Fire Protection District has one of the highest, if not the highest, tax levies in its category in the entire State of Illinois.
We cannot allow these stealth taxing bodies to go unchallenged in their continuous tax increases and runaway spending each year. The financial burden cannot continue to be thrown on the backs of homeowners. There must be accountability and financial discipline at all levels of government.
As Cook County Commissioner, I have worked tirelessly to hold the line on Cook County taxes especially property taxes. As a result, there has not been a county property tax rate increase during my seven years of service on the county board. I also continue to be out front leading the fight to repeal President Todd Stroger’s 2008 sales tax increase and I’m happy to announce a major victory for our cause. Following County Board approval of a resolution I sponsored calling on the General Assembly to reduce the President's veto power, this week, the state legislature passed a bill lowering the Cook County Board’s veto override from 4/5 to 3/5. The bill is now on the governor’s desk waiting to be signed into law… a big win for taxpayers. As the veto override battle has shown, I will remain steadfast in my commitment to tax reform and fiscal responsibility and I will continue to fight for the taxpayers, first and foremost.
There is an avenue for property tax relief for homeowners through the board of tax review appeal process. The appeal process for homeowners starts immediately upon receiving your tax bill. In Orland Park you can contact the Orland Township Assessor’s office at 708-403-4222 to begin an appeal of your property taxes. For more information and inquiries you can contact my Orland Park District Office at 708-349-1336 or visit my website at: www.lizgorman.com.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth “Liz” Doody Gorman
Cook County Commissioner, 17th District
Orland Park
