The first of two property tax bills due this year were mailed at the end of January and will be due on March 4. The first installment of 2024 taxes (paid in 2025) is an estimate calculated at 55% of the total taxes paid last year. The final amount due will not be determined until second installment tax bills are issued in the summer of 2025.
Below are answers to frequently asked questions about the new bills:
My second installment tax bill last year was much higher than it had been in prior years, and now my first installment is also much higher than before. Why?
Last summer’s second installment tax bills reflected a reassessment of all Oak Park properties, which happens once every three years. The reassessment led to dramatic tax increases for a large group of Oak Park taxpayers, and since the recently mailed bills are 55% of the group’s higher taxes from last year, their new bills are also high.
But unlike last year, this year’s second installment bills should be lower than the first installment for most Oak Park taxpayers. We have now entered a two-year non-reassessment period, during which annual tax increases will likely be moderate, and the first installment bill should be higher than the second installment.
My tax bill last year was reduced by a homeowner, senior citizen, or disabled exemption. Why don’t these exemptions appear on my first installment bill?
A property’s eligibility for property tax exemptions can change from year to year. Eligibility determinations for exemptions have not been made yet, but they will be made by the time second installment bills are issued. At that time, exemption-related savings will appear on tax bills.
In tax year 2024, I tried to reduce my taxes by filing an appeal. If my appeal is successful, when will the results appear on my bill?
The results of a successful appeal for tax year 2024 will appear on this year’s second installment tax bill.
How can I pay my first installment bill?
If your property taxes are paid by a mortgage company, you should not pay the bill yourself. You should, however, check to make sure the mortgage company pays the bill.
If you pay the taxes yourself, you can mail in your payment or pay it online at www.cookcountytreasurer.com. You can also pay the bill in person at the Cook County Treasurer’s downtown office or at any Chase Bank branch in the Chicago area.
Ali ElSaffar
Oak Park Township Assessor