Ravenswood

It ain't over until...

Dec 23, 2003

The new real estate tax assessments for Jefferson Township have come out and many people are singing the blues once again. It seems like our community is about to be hammered one more time by rising assessments and taxes. Fortunately, all is not lost. RCC and many other community organizations have joined with Cook County Assessor James Houlihan in urging the State Legislature to enact meaningful property tax relief. The Neighborhood Preservation Homeowner Exemption (NPHE) proposed by Assessor Houlihan would revise the base for the homeowner exemption from 1977 to 2002, remove the $4500 limit on the exemption and cap growth in taxable value to a maximum of 7% per year.
On November 17, RCC participated in a multi-organization visit to Springfield legislators, urging them to consider the plight of Chicago homeowners and the desperate need for tax relief. The NPHE was passed in a House committee but failed to be called to a vote by the full House of Representatives. Just like the old saying about the opera, ?“It ain?’t over until the fat lady sings?”, in this case, it ain?’t over unless we give up and just allow ourselves to be taxed out of our homes. The next opportunity for passage of this tax relief measure will be when the legislature reconvenes in January. You can play a substantial role in letting elected officials know how important property tax relief is to you. Organizations and individuals throughout the area are being urged to send holiday cards to the Governor, Senate President and House Speaker with a brief note about your concern. Here are the addresses to use:
Governor Rod Blagojevich
2934 W Sunnyside
Chicago, IL 60625

State Senator Emil Jones
11357 S Loew
Chicago, IL 60628

State Rep. Mike Madigan
6400 S Keeler
Chicago, IL 60629