O’Connor discusses how 2025 was a year of chaos for Cook County and Illinois.
CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, January 19, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ —
In 2025, Illinois surpassed New Jersey as the state with the highest property taxes in the nation. While the entire state reached this dubious mark, it was Cook County that was responsible for most of the bad news. Long known for skyrocketing values and taxes, Cook County certainly outdid itself in 2025, with mistakes so flagrant that the entire city of Chicago rose up in revolt against its tax bills, forcing unprecedented measures by the Cook County Assessor’s Office (CCAO). At the same time, the collar counties around Chicagoland saw some of the highest tax increases in their history, with everything spreading out from there.
With longstanding chickens coming home to roost across the state, it was certainly an interesting year for Illinois. While it will be difficult to catalog all of the problems that unfolded in 2025, this article will serve as a recap as the new year begins. 2026 could finally be the turning point for taxpayers in and outside of Chicago, and hopefully a fire will finally be lit under the legislature to force a permanent fix to these problems.
Property Values and Taxes Grow Across Illinois
The reasons for Illinois’ constant growth in taxable value and taxes are manifold and systemic. Property taxes have grown for over 30 straight years, showing no signs of stopping. The unending hunger of government bodies for funding is the prime motivator for increases across Illinois, and 2025 was a banner year for it. Budget shortfalls and increasing pensions are the main culprits. In Cook County, the infighting over funding nearly led to a government shutdown for the first time in the county’s history. In major urban areas, especially the collar counties, gentrification has been a huge influence on skyrocketing home values. The movement from cities to suburban and rural areas to avoid high costs has also led to increasing demand for housing.
Computer Error the First Domino to Fall in Chicago
While most of Cook County’s problems are decades old, the chaos of 2025 was started by a computer error. In an effort to modernize, the CCAO turned to the contractor Tyler Technologies. The initial idea was to build a system that connected the CCAO, Treasurer, and County Clerk, as each contributes to property tax assessment, collection, and disbursement. Instead of streamlining the system, this led to constant delays. This had a knock-on effect that lasted through all of 2025. The delay meant that tax bills were late, leading to funding and refunds also being delayed. With so many government agencies left in a holding pattern, things began to unravel.
Cook County Tax Bills Delayed from May to November
It took months for things to be somewhat sorted out, with the second installment of tax bills being sent out nearly six months later than usual. This caused immediate problems, as funding was again delayed, leading to school districts and other organizations taking out loans. The delay, of course, was worse for taxpayers. Not only were their bills months late, but many were much higher than expected. To top things off, the bills were due on December 15, which was both close to the holidays and with only three months separating it from the mailing of the first installment bill of 2026, as they are typically due in March. In order to compensate for this, the due date was eventually changed to April of 2026, giving taxpayers only one additional month.
Collapsing Office Values in the Loop Forced Higher Taxes on Homeowners
What truly made the delay in tax bills devastating was the huge increases contained within them for homeowners. Homeowners saw an average increase of 16%, the highest in the history of Illinois. Matters were made much worse for homeowners in the South and West Sides of Chicago, where the average bill doubled or more. West Garfield Park, for instance, experienced an average increase of 133%, with some homes spiking up to 600%. The brunt of the hikes was felt mostly by working people and minorities. While improvements to homes and gentrification were seen as the main driver for the increases, it was also revealed that the tax burden had been shifted to homeowners to make up for business shortfalls.
Offices in the Loop and retail spaces in the Magnificent Mile both saw huge decreases in their assessments and tax bills in 2025. According to the CCAO, this was because of vacancies for offices and retail stores, which led to the budget shortfall needing to be made up elsewhere. The CCAO, predictably, also tried to pass the buck, blaming property tax appeal verdicts by the Board of Review (BOR) for siding with businesses. The CCAO had previously bragged about homeowners being given a break by transferring the burden to businesses, so this could have been just a way to save face. Whatever the cause, this unexpected decline in business value was the main reason for both the huge average increases and the tax spikes.
Community Anger Forced Emergency Measures
This was truly the straw that broke the camel’s back. Since the 2023 reassessment, taxpayers in Cook County have been on edge, waiting to see their own devastating increases. Though each third of the city got beaten down by reassessment, the general increase of 2025 on such short notice fueled a fury in the taxpayers like never before. Tax bills were burned, angry meetings took place, and constant debates were had about fixing the problem.
The outrage forced some temporary changes in Cook County. This included reopening appeals for most of the county, a move never seen before. This window lasted from December 3 to December 12, allowing many homeowners to explore appeals for the first time. The treasurer was also forced to create a payment plan for taxpayers, a rarity in Cook County. This payment plan also saw interest rates cut in half, lowering the cost of repayment. While these may have been token gestures, they were also unprecedented, showing the power of the people of Illinois when they are moved to righteous anger.
Cook County Property Tax Sales Ruled Unconstitutional
The biggest consequence of not paying property taxes is an eventual tax sale. This allows an investor to pay the taxes while also gaining a stake in the property. If a property owner cannot pay within 30 months, the investor takes possession of the entire property, leaving the owner with nothing. This is generally seen as the harshest property tax forfeiture in the nation. A similar law was found unconstitutional by the Supreme Court a few years ago, forcing states to change their policy. Illinois did not, and as a consequence, several lawsuits were filed against Cook, DuPage, and Lake counties. The Cook County lawsuit managed to prove that tax sales violated the Fifth and Eighth Amendments. While Cook County is appealing, property forfeiture seems to be on hold, with more developments to come.
Property Tax Appeals Reach New Level of Popularity
Since Cook County’s infamous 2023 reassessment, taxpayers from every corner of Illinois have been embracing property tax appeals like never before. The BOR in Cook County claimed that 2025 had more appeals than any other time on record, and this was before the additional appeal window was opened. The collar counties around Chicago did the same, with homeowners and businesses alike challenging their assessments. Rural counties have also embraced appeals in record numbers. With all of Illinois being hit with rising taxes, it is only natural for the people to fight back.
About O’Connor:
O’Connor is one of the largest property tax consulting firms, representing 185,000 clients in 49 states and Canada, handling about 295,000 protests in 2024, with residential property tax reduction services in Illinois, Texas, Georgia, and New York. O’Connor’s possesses the resources and market expertise in the areas of property tax, cost segregation, commercial and residential real estate appraisals. The firm was founded in 1974 and employs a team of 1,000 worldwide. O’Connor’s core focus is enriching the lives of property owners through cost effective tax reduction.
Property owners interested in assistance appealing their assessment can enroll in O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program ™. There is no upfront fee, or any fee unless we reduce your property taxes, and easy online enrollment only takes 2 to 3 minutes.
Patrick O’Connor, President
O’Connor
+ + +1 713-375-4128
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