#524 In-person and Online: Why are property taxes in Chicago so high? (And what can be done to lower them)

This event will be in person, but you can also tune in via our usual livestream. Doors open at 6pm. The livestream and announcements will start around 6:30pm CDT.

In-person: TeamWorking, 20 N Upper Wacker Drive, 12th Floor, Chicago IL. Enter the Civic Opera Building using the entrance in the middle of the block between Washington and Madison streets. Take the elevators to the 12th floor.

For more information on our in-person events, please see our COVID Policy.

Chicago property taxes increased by roughly $468 million in tax year 2021, with the median residential property tax bill in the city rising by roughly 8%. What caused this increase? Who (or what) bears responsibility? And what, if anything, can be done to lower property tax bills?

Join Dan Snow, Director of Data Science at the Cook County Assessor’s Office, for a deep dive on Cook County’s property tax system. He’ll provide a crash course in how the system works and outline the root causes of higher tax bills. Additionally, Dan will introduce a new tool created by the Assessor’s Office that can explore “what if” property tax scenarios. Using this tool, he’ll examine potential high-impact policy solutions to high property taxes. If you’ve ever wanted a data-driven answer to the question, “What would my property tax bill be if Chicago had no TIF districts?”, then this talk is for you.

RSVP In-person attendees should RSVP beforehand. As occupancy limits permit, walk-ins will be allowed to enter.

Vaccination required In order to keep attendees safe, we will be requiring proof of vaccination at the door. A physical vaccine cards or picture of one will be accepted. If you are not vaccinated, you can tune in to the livestream.

Masks required Attendees will be required to wear a mask. We will provide additional masks if you forget yours.

There will be food! We will be serving chicken, steak and veggie tacos from Atolito’s Tacos!

ASL This event will not have an American Sign Language interpreter.