Truth in Taxation meeting to be held December 3

Before Cook County Board of Commissioners can finalize the budget and levy each year, they must hold a Truth in Taxation meeting. This year the meeting will take place on Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. at the Cook County Courthouse.

Earlier that day the board will hold a regular business meeting. This is a deviation from the regular schedule in order to take the Christmas holiday into account.

In September the board set a 9.81% preliminary levy. The final levy cannot exceed that preliminary amount, but can still be decreased. The board has expressed their hope to bring the final levy closer to 5%, and budget talks at both the regular meetings and Committee of the Whole meetings have been ongoing. At the meeting on Nov. 26, Commissioner Deb White encouraged constituents to contact the county with feedback on those budget conversations.

For those able to attend the Truth in Taxation meeting in-person, there are a few things to be aware of. Earlier this year former Administrator James Joerke spoke to WTIP and clarified what the purpose of the meeting was. He said that in the past there has been confusion about the meeting, with some county property owners attending looking to contest their property valuations. The process for contesting a property valuation takes place in the spring. Additionally, this meeting will only address the county levy, and not the school or hospital district levies.

Joerke went on to explain the aim of the Truth in Taxation meeting that proceeds the official acceptance of the next year’s levy. He said:

What this is, is basically just an opportunity for residents to receive information about the upcoming year budget proposal and to provide feedback on the levy that the board is considering. And that levy is really separate from property valuations. The you know what your property value is goes into how how much your tax bill will be, of course, but the county does not collect more revenue when property values go up. The county only collects more revenue when it raises the county tax levy. And so that is and that’s different from other areas where property tax collections are correspond to the value of property. Here we have a flat levy where the board decides how much it is going to assess all the taxpayers in Cook County to support county programs and operations, and the levy is the tool by which that happens.

Auditor-Treasurer Braidy Powers provided a summary of several of the 2025 budget questions and additional requests. It can be found along with more details about this  year’s Truth in Taxation meeting on the county website.

Kirsten Wisniewski November 30, 2024