22 Apr
2022
22 Apr
'22
9:51 a.m.
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Sean Morrison (Board of Commissioners) <Sean.Morrison(a)cookcountyil.gov
Date: Thu, Apr 21, 2022 at 4:38 PM
Subject: Monday at 1pm-Joint Meeting Re: Delayed 2nd Installment Mailing
To: Sean Morrison (Board of Commissioners) <Sean.Morrison(a)cookcountyil.gov
Good Afternoon,
A friendly reminder that at 1:00pm on Monday, April 25th there will be a
Joint meeting of the County’s Finance Committee, Technology Committee,
Assessor, Board of Review, Clerk, and Treasurer to discuss a potential late
mailing of the second property tax installment bills. If you have concerns
about this, the proceedings can be followed here:
https://www.cookcountyil.gov/service/watch-live-board-proceedings
If you would like to speak or submit public comments on this matter please
visit “County Finance and Technology & Innovation Joint Committee Remote
Meeting Viewing and Participation Instructions at:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TDPMBBG
Please note that registration to provide live testimony will close 24 hours
prior to the scheduled start of the meeting.
The public comment link can also be reached here:
https://cook-county.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=955991&GUID=96E6…
If you have any questions or need further information please let me know.
Sincerely,
[image: Sean M. Morrison Text, Letter]
[image: Cook County Seal]
*Sean M. Morrison | 17th District Cook County Commissioner *
Cook County Board of Commissioners
15040 Ravinia Ave. Suite 44
Orland Park, IL 60462
(708) 349-1336
*seanmorrison.com <https://www.seanmorrison.com/>*
*From:* Sean Morrison (Board of Commissioners) <
Sean.Morrison(a)cookcountyil.gov *Sent:* Wednesday,
April 06, 2022 12:19 PM
*Subject:* Commissioner Sean Morrison Re: delayed second installment of
property taxes
Good Afternoon,
As your County Commissioner I am aware of the potential for serious
hardships to your local unit of government if there is a late mailing of
the second installment property tax bills. I am writing to let you know
that I have just filed a Resolution for the Cook County Board to ask our
Finance Committee for a Special Meeting, including the County Assessor,
Board of Review, Clerk, Treasurer and Bureau of Technology at the earliest
possible time. The purpose is to gain a better understanding of the issues,
effects, and potential solutions to a late mailing of the second property
tax installment. I have included my latest press release on this topic
below.
Sincerely,
[image: Sean M. Morrison Text, letter]
[image: Cook County Seal]
*Sean M. Morrison | 17th District Cook County Commissioner *
Cook County Board of Commissioners
15040 Ravinia Ave. Suite 44
Orland Park, IL 60462
(708) 349-1336
*seanmorrison.com <https://www.seanmorrison.com/>*
------------------------------
*17th District, Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison proposes financial
remedy for local governments who face revenue shortfall from delayed second
installment of property taxes*
April 1, 2022
*Orland Park, IL* - A very real financial crisis could soon hit every
government taxing body in Cook County. That’s because the Cook County
Assessor’s Office could delay the second installment of the Cook County
Real Estate Taxes up to six months and possibly into the first quarter of
2023. This delay in over $16 billion dollars in second half bills will
force local government bodies to either draw down their reserves or borrow
money with interest. This will have a massive financial impact on our
municipalities, school districts, fire protection districts, police
departments, park districts, public libraries, and everything in between.
Over seven months ago during county budget hearings, I raised the alarm of
the likelihood of late tax installments and the effect they will have
regarding the delay in the process of property tax certifications – due to
the dramatically diminished amount of files being processed at that time.
Aside from communications from Board of Review Commissioner Tammy Wendt’s
office, my questions and communications were largely ignored from the
various stakeholders.
Subsequently, I sent a *letter*
<https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001yg30KChramqEAODpEBf-gkNdiFYF7nqhj8NQ-KYLash1EMA-xa8w5ed3C3IVIoIP_zMwt3d1_UYBDgC5d6UB425OALs7Pr-VzZTCSuyPMkrsYyhvhFCGp_ZQFJvi-dgQanW_UnZccatO7rd1L3BY_Lc-wRil5XNSAcN-bG5FoRwvzvqQvvk3FKpQkrScrqEKGFEkp8XOF4gfcPb0fSWTw8_xMPIh5YkHt8i-ODor0f6wkMMI9GQ3yA==&c=kRfTJWHJpFO1Gv1RyDRnHfAViW78r_Bvg66Ny6aWeMAesGmDyDuwHQ==&ch=bdHJOo9l02YQM9-GsM72Sb2CELz1W2QKuABlx-xc-MXlHGmWqi_qRQ== in January 2022 requesting a special hearing of
the finance committee to
address this ominous issue. I was advised via *letter*
<https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001yg30KChramqEAODpEBf-gkNdiFYF7nqhj8NQ-KYLash1EMA-xa8w5ed3C3IVIoIPZjSFv5yJgT1_M8l6z-qIShSNNcEFqCAjzMxzvnCLDsSVO0wZ3RGWVp51HkhJVogCMS8nimYIhl0DMTKVJkOeIn3UEVVo9t6M-YH-gOOMa5JDATsL5NyRpVg3q3r1s3sW5FYF87kMvLqiBqVkDT5DKVVev5x6gquFCYA_yIPI3gz3gF2_Z0Si3Q==&c=kRfTJWHJpFO1Gv1RyDRnHfAViW78r_Bvg66Ny6aWeMAesGmDyDuwHQ==&ch=bdHJOo9l02YQM9-GsM72Sb2CELz1W2QKuABlx-xc-MXlHGmWqi_qRQ==>,
the issue is being addressed by a policy group under the Office of the
President along with members of the Assessor’s office, Board of Review,
County Clerk and Treasurer’s Office. I received no other actionable
response on this item!
I, along with the public, have now learned via “the news media” that tax
bills will be delayed up to six months or more. If these news reports are
accurate, this will lead to local government taxing bodies across Cook
County being forced to borrow funds to cover their pre-budgeted operating
costs.
If this financial catastrophe occurs and Cook County is faced with a
substantial delay in the release of tax revenues to local government
bodies, then Cook County government should consider stepping in to address
this issue.
Until such point in time as those stakeholders whose primary function is
to provide for the on-time delivery of our property tax bill correct this
problem, I have one immediate solution. Cook County government should
consider setting aside up to $100 million dollars to provide for no/low
interest short-term financing loans to our local taxing bodies.
--
*Ted Bodewes*Director
Thomas Ford Memorial Library
800 Chestnut Street
Western Springs, IL 60558
(708) 246-0520
