Cook County’s second installment tax bills — which are supposed to be mailed by July 1 and due by Aug. 1 — will be late this year. Current estimates are that second installment bills will be due Oct. 1.
Last year, problems with a new county computer system resulted in a Dec. 15 due date for second installment tax bills. Although the new computer system appears to be working better now, last year’s delayed bills are a major reason for this year’s delays.
For many taxpayers, the arrival of second installment bills marks the first time they realize there are problems with their assessments. Taxpayers often address such problems by filing appeals. Last year, however, many could not file because their townships had already been closed for appeals.
In response, county officials reopened appeal periods for the closed townships, including Oak Park Township, last December. But the reopening delayed the final resolution of appeals for this year, resulting in late tax bills again.
Fortunately, this year’s late bills are not expected to be nearly as late as last year’s. This means there is a good chance that next year’s tax bills will be issued on time.
Ali ElSaffar
Oak Park Township assessor
