Blue Island Mayor Fred Bilotto and aldermen addressed the average 36% property tax hikes affecting residents, urging homeowners to appeal their assessments and call for changes to the system.
While Blue Island was not among the top ranked municipalities with the highest property tax bills outlined in an analysis by Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, Bilotto said residents are still being affected by the historic hikes.
“We were up there too, like I said I had a 100% increase on my own house,” Bilotto said at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. “They should have at least graduated it out so you’re not getting hit with double taxes all at one time.”
The median tax on Blue Island homeowners increased by 36%, according to the treasurer’s analysis.
First Ward Ald. Dexter Johnson expressed frustration with the steep property tax increases affecting both residents and commercial properties, labeling it an “American nightmare.”
Harvey Mayor Christopher Clark pledged not to raise village property taxes in the 2025 fiscal year, and asked other south suburban mayors to join a Hold the Tax Pledge at a news conference July 2, the day residents received tax bills.
“There’s no good answer I can provide from the city of Blue Island’s standpoint other than appeal it, and contact your Cook County assessor and Cook County treasurer,” Bilotto said.
Genita Sewell, who has owned her Blue Island home for 17 years, told the council she received a property bill of more than $5,000 in July.
“In 17 years, this is the highest price I’ve ever had since I lived here,” Sewell said.
Sewell was one of many homeowners affected by triennial reassessments last year, where homes and businesses were given new values by the Cook County assessor.
Sewell said her home’s assessed value more than doubled. After receiving a letter in the mail notifying her of the new assessment in 2023, Sewell appealed and was denied.
Sewell said she lives by a railroad, which she believes is another reason her home is not worth the assessed value.
“You can’t tell me that I can sell my house for that much,” Sewell said. “You can’t tell me that I can even sell my house for what it’s worth because even in 2021, it was barely appraised at what I paid for it in 2006, so I’ve never made any equity on this house.”
The treasurer’s analysis showed median tax bills are rising by 19.9%, the largest jump in 29 years. Homeowners are being hit the hardest by the increased bills with only a month to pay the sum.
The treasurer’s office sent out a news release June 10 urging taxpayers to read their property tax bills, which Pappas said are redesigned to show where taxpayer money is going.
“The first thing homeowners should do about their property taxes is to read their tax bill,” Pappas said. “In order to fix the broken property tax system, you must first understand where the money goes.”
Ald. Johnson said he fears many residents will be pushed out of their homes given the high rates.
“It’s ridiculous, and I can see a lot of people probably losing their homes behind this, if this is not corrected in some manner,” he said.
Johnson also pointed to inequities in the tax system that historically affect lower income, Black communities. The treasurer’s analysis shows median bills in the county rose by more than 30% in 15 south suburbs, 13 of which have majority Black populations.
Nearly all bills are posted on the treasurer’s website and must be paid by Aug 1.
Sewell said she doesn’t know how she will come up with the money in such a short time.
“How are people supposed to just come up with that money in a month?” Sewell said. “I feel bad for myself, but I feel even more bad for people who are retired (because) they’re not working anymore.”
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