The office of Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi is seen on Jan. 29, 2025, at the Cook County Building. | Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune
By A.D. Quig | Chicago Tribune
Tax bills for Cook County property owners are likely to be delayed after a data snafu at the Cook County assessor’s office held up a key step in the property tax process, setting off another round of finger-pointing among property tax leaders.
The delay is the latest setback for county officials. Aside from tax bill delays during the pandemic, tax officials have been at odds or openly feuding for several years over the accuracy of assessments, the expense of tech upgrades and plain politics.
Assessor Fritz Kaegi’s office is blaming Tyler Technologies, the contractor in charge of updating the data systems across the county’s property tax offices, for the delay. Other property tax officials, however, say Kaegi is at fault for failing to prioritize this issue and missing a foundational step in the tax process.
“While we wish the Assessor had brought this issue to the Property Tax Reform Group, we are now in communication with the Assessor’s Office as they work through the anticipated delay,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s spokesperson, Nick Shields, told the Tribune in a statement. “With this issue now on the radar of the Property Tax Reform Group, we can collaborate to help ensure that tax bills go out as soon as possible.”
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