Press
For press releases prior to 2008, please visit our press archive.
Representatives of the firm are available for comment to members of the press and will serve as speakers before professional, civic and community gatherings.

November 19, 2008
Chicago, IL Mayor Richard Daley said today that the state should expand a state program that provides property tax relief to disabled, low-income, elderly residents.

He suggested the circuit breaker program also should include longtime low-income homeowners who are not disabled. The mayor floated the idea about a month after Cook County Assessor James Houlihan made a similar suggestion.

Houlihan proposed that all Cook County homeowners who pay spend more than 5 percent of their income on property taxes would get up to $700 off their property tax bill.At the time, Daley dismissed as a "political stunt" Houlihan's suggestion that part of the expanded program be funded with Chicago tax increment finance district funds, saying such use of those funds was not allowed under state law. But Daley today praised Houlihan as a member of his property tax advisory council that proposed the expansion.

November 14, 2008
Palos Park, IL It's a girl for Marcia Serio. Baby Envelope was born this morning and weighted a healthy 6lbs 14ozs.

November 14, 2008
Chicago, IL Chicago Mayor Daley has gone on the record and suggested that the current economic crisis may be a depression.

October 21, 2008
Chicago, IL Mayor Daley today denounced as a "political stunt" Assessor Houlihan's plan to siphon money away from Chicago's tax-increment-financing (TIF) districts to help struggling homeowners pay soaring property tax bills.

Under the Houlihan "circuit breaker" plan, local government agencies would establish an emergency fund that would grant up to $700 of relief to homeowners who spend more than five percent of their income on property taxes.

October 20, 2008
Chicago, IL Cook County Assessor James M. Houlihan is proposing legislation which would give homeowners a tax rebate. It is unclear as to how he will pay for the program. He suggested that the city of Chicago could donate some money from it's TIF districts and that Cook County could donate some sales tax revenue.

October 15, 2008
Chicago, IL The City of Chicago is facing a 2009 budget shortfall in excess of $450 million.

October 1, 2008
Chicago, IL The 2d Installment 2007 Cook County Tax Bills have been mailed. Payment is due on November 3, 2008 and can be made at any Chase branch or Cook County Treasurer's office.

September 30, 2008
Chicago, IL Midway Airport has been sold to an investment group. A big A+ for the city in terms of bond ratings.

September 18, 2008
Springfield, IL The Illinois Department of revenue has announced that the 2007 Cook County multiplier will be 2.8439. That is an increase of 5.03% over the 2006 multiplier of 2.7076.

September 17, 2008
Chicago, IL The Cook County Board has approved Assessor Houlihan's proposal to assess single family houses at 10% and commercial/industrial real estate at 25% of fair market value. See press release dated 9-16-08 below:

This is just another tax increase headed for the residents of Cook County and those living in Chicago, IL. The County Board has no choice but to engage legal plunder to pay for it's misconstrued policies of wealth redistribution through real estate taxation. The destruction of liberty is upon Cook County.

The Cook County Board's Finance Committee today voted to approve Assessor Houlihan's massive adjustment to Cook County's assessment formula. Words of caution were given from the Chicago Association of Realtors ® warning against approving the proposal until more research was completed. The University of Illinois is investigating and publishing a study of the now passed proposal and the unleashing of it's unintended consequences.

The following members voted in favor:
Gorman; Goslin; Murphy; Maldenado; Schneider; Silvestri; Daley; Butler;
Claypool; Colins

The following members voted PRESENT:
Sims

The following individuals voted to oppose:
Sufferdin; Beavers; Peraica

Absent:
Quigley; Moreno; Steele.

September 8, 2008
Springfield, IL Louis G. Apostol has been named Executive Director of the Property Tax Appeals Board effective immediately. The whereabouts of the former Executive Director, Ronald A. Messina are unknown.

September 8, 2008
Chicago, IL The Appellate Court of Illinois (1st District) has re-affirmed it's previous opinion in the matter of THE COOK COUNTY BOARD OF REVIEW, Petition for Review of Decision of the Property Tax Board v. ILLINOIS PROPERTY TAX APPEAL BOARD.

September 5, 2008
Elgin, IL Cook County officials, who's coffers are filled with cash from it's recent tax increases, are set to negotiate a deal to buy Rolling Knolls Golf Course -- which is owned by the family of Cook County Commissioner Timothy Schneider (R).

The Forest Preserve Board on Thursday approved a proposal authorizing further talks with Schneider's family about acquiring the 65-acre golf course near Elgin. The vote came about two weeks after the Elgin Planning Commission voted down the Schneider family's plan to turn Rolling Knolls into a smaller nine-hole course and a subdivision. Commissioner Schneider did not vote on the proposal.

August 11, 2008
Evergreen Park, IL Former Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Maureen Murphy has passed away. She will be missed. She was a very inspirational leader and devoted to her family, church and community.

July 28, 2008
Chicago, IL The Appellate Court of Illinois (1st District) has reversed and remanded a decision by the Property Tax Appeals Board. The unusual opinion demonstrates what not to do when attempting obtain an assessed valuation reduction. THE COOK COUNTY BOARD OF REVIEW, Petition for Review of Decision of the Property Tax Board v. ILLINOIS PROPERTY TAX APPEAL BOARD.

July 26, 2008
Springfield, IL In a closely monitored case, the Appellate Court of Illinois (4th District) has upheld the findings of the Illinois Department of Revenue that concluded that a petitioner for a property tax exemption was not a charitable organization. PROVENA COVENANT MEDICAL CENTER and PROVENA HOSPITALS, Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS; and BRIAN A. HAMER, in His Official Capacity as Director of the Illinois Department of Revenue,

July 28, 2008
Chicago, IL In an attempt to head off a budget shortfall, the City of Chicago is considering a policy of mandatory furloughs for non-union city employees.

July 23, 2008
Country Club Hills, IL The City of Country Club Hills has come up with a new tactic to enhance their tax revenues. Commercial and industrial property owners are being urged not to appeal their new tax assessments. They are being told that they should instead enroll in Cook County's Class 8 tax incentive program. Village officials are also walking assessment appeals through the Assessor's office.

Country Club Hills, headed by long-time Mayor Dwight Welch, has one of the higher tax rates in Cook County. If he really wanted to help his taxpayers, he would start by cutting his tax rate. Better yet, perhaps the residents should begin to consider the benefits to be derived by imposing term limits.

July 9, 2008
Springfield, IL The Illinois General Assembly is reconvening today. Called back in an attempt to find funding sources for the new state budget.

July 8, 2008
Chicago, IL Lt. Governor Patrick Quinn and Cook County Commission Forrest Claypool are calling for government by referendum and presumably the discontinuation of the legislative branch of government. See the attached press release.

CHICAGO - Lt. Governor Pat Quinn and Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool joined forces Tuesday to launch a grassroots movement to reform the tax system in Illinois, resolving to give voters the right to place tax and spending issues on the ballot.

"The people of Illinois are fed up by the recent actions of the Cook County Board and the disarray of state government," Quinn said at a July 8 news conference at the James R. Thompson Center. "It is time to say ‘enough is enough' and give Illinois taxpayers the power to vote on the issues that affect their daily lives and their pocketbooks."

Quinn and Claypool resolved to spend the next year - from the Fourth of July of this year to the Fourth of July of next year - fighting to give the citizens of Illinois the power of initiative. The initiative process gives citizens the right to petition their government by placing taxpayer-initiated issues on the ballot, bypassing politicians and vested interest groups.

Recent events in Illinois underline the need for initiative at the state and local level. A full-percentage-point hike in the Cook County sales tax has Chicago shoppers shelling out more in taxes than in any other major American city, even as state government remains mired in budget gridlock.

"With $4 gasoline and rising food costs, families can't afford the highest taxes in the nation," Claypool said.

Quinn and Claypool have a long history of joining forces to fight for taxpayers. They worked together to provide property tax relief to thousands of taxpayers during the 1980s when Quinn served as Commissioner of the Cook County Board of (Property Tax) Appeals and Claypool served as Deputy Commissioner. They also teamed up to pass the landmark Illinois Whistleblower Reward and Protection Act in 1991 when Quinn served as State Treasurer of Illinois and Claypool was Deputy Treasurer.

June 30, 2008
Chicago, IL The Cook County Treasurer has announced that the 2006 annual tax sale will begin on August 12, 2008.

June 4, 2008
Athens, Greece The City of Chicago has been named to the final 4 cities to compete for the 2016 Olympics. If selected, Chicago will become the greatest urban renewal project of all time. Final selections will be made on October 2, 2009.

May 14, 2008
Chicago, IL Mr. Scott M. Guetzow, Chief Deputy Commissioner of the Cook County Board of Review addressed the Chicago Chapter of the IPT today. His theme was the role of the Board of Review in relation to the economic malaise. He indicated that the Board of Review will be sensitive to the current economic realities.

May 12, 2008
Chicago, IL The Tribune Company, owner of the Chicago Cubs, has rejected a proposal by the Illinois Sports Authority which would purchase Wrigley Field and then lease it back to the Cubs all at no expense to taxpayers.

April 30, 2008
Palatine, IL Some residents in Palatine are up in arms because Todd Stroger won't meet with them. These same residents are attempting to de annex from Cook County and join Lake County.

April 9, 2008
Springfield, IL A proposal by Representative Kevin Joyce, which requires all single family houses to be reassessed on an annual basis, has been approved by the house and will now be considered by the senate.

On another front, Cook County Assessor Houlihan is proposing that all residential properties be assessed at 10% of market value and commercial/industrial properties at 25% of market value. Mr. Houlihan's reasoning for such a proposal are unclear.

March 31, 2008
Chicago, IL The Cook County Board of Review is reporting that approximately 6000 residential complaints were filed during the recent Emergency Assessment Review.

March 17, 2008
Chicago, IL The Civic Federation is proposing that the Cook County Forest Preserve District be managed by a newly created board which is different from the Cook County Board. The reasoning behind the proposal is that the Forest Preserve District often experiences budget shortfalls which are caused by budgetary diversions to other county agencies.

March 5, 2008
Chicago, IL The Cook County Board of Review has announced that they will be accepting complaints on all properties from March 17 to March 31, 2008. This assessment review is unprecedented and comes after a request by Mayor Daley to address what he considered significant inequities in the assessment process.

March 5, 2008
Palatine, IL Several municipalities in the northwest portion of Cook County are exploring the feasibility of breaking off from Cook County due to what they term as high taxes. This proposal has been considered before and requires approval by a majority of the voters countywide. An unlikely proposition.

March 1, 2008
Chicago, IL The Cook County Board has voted to increase the sales tax from .75% to 1.75% and double the parking tax. After these increases go into effect, the City of Chicago will have the highest sales tax of all the largest U.S. cities. The board did not increase the property tax.

February 28, 2008
Chicago, IL The latest version of a tax swap has passed the Senate Education Committee and will soon be considered by the General Assembly. The proposal would increase the state income tax from 3% to 5% and reduce the education portion of property tax bills by 20%. The proposal is being labeled by opponents as a tax grab.

February 20, 2008
Chicago, IL The Chicago Tribune is reporting that the 50 story office building at One N. Wacker has sold for $550 million or $392 per square foot.

February 18, 2008
Chicago, IL Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin appeared at a conference sponsored by Loyola University School of Law and announced that those institutions that are benefiting from tax breaks and other governmental assistance must begin to "do more for society". It is presumed that Mr. Sufferdin was talking about not-for-profit hospitals.

February 12, 2008
Chicago, IL Mayor Daley has announced that he will appoint tax experts to a commission which will make specific recommendations to improve the Cook County tax collection process.

February 7, 2008
Chicago, IL Mayor Daley has called for the Cook County Assessor to reduce assessments on residential properties in light of the rescissionary housing market. A spokesperson for the Assessor replied that housing values have not declined.

February 5, 2008
Chicago, IL Board of Review Commissioner Joseph Berrios has defeated a democratic primary challenger. Commissioner Larry Rogers, Jr. became the democratic party nominee without a challenger. We congratulate both of them.

February 4, 2008
Chicago, IL Some taxpayers that have received PTAB refunds are receiving tax bills which incorrectly show a balance due for prior tax years. This is probably due to a programming problem somewhere in the county's computer system. The Cook County Treasurer has been notified of the problem.

February 4, 2008
Chicago, IL The 1st installment Cook County tax bills have been mailed. They are due March 4, 2008.

January 18, 2008
Springfield, IL The General Assembly has passed the governor's amendatory veto thus avoiding a transit system shut-down.

January 10, 2008
Springfield, IL The General Assembly has passed and the governor has said he will sign a bill authorizing sales tax increases that will fund the CTA-RTA, subject to an amendatory veto which will allow senior citizens to ride for free. The General Assembly will consider the changes on January 17.

January 2, 2008
Pasadena, CA The special meeting of the General Assembly which was to have taken place today, so that the funding problems of mass transit could be addressed, did not go off as planned since many legislators are still in transit back from the Rose Bowl.