Providing Property Tax Relief for Berwyn Township Taxpayers.

As Cook County Board of Review First District Commissioner, one of my favorite parts of my job is spending time in the district, which includes Berwyn Township. Home to the City of Berwyn, known as the “Beautiful City of Homes,” Berwyn Township has long been a welcoming community full of diverse neighborhoods and bustling retail centers. Despite this area's inviting qualities, like other townships across Cook County, Berwyn Township has been challenged with property taxes for decades. Fortunately, the Cook County Board of Review is a government body that can potentially provide property tax relief for those who appeal their property’s assessed value to our office.

You’re not alone if you feel that the county property tax system is complex. It is. One factor that plays a role in determining your property tax bill is your property’s assessed value. While an increase in your property’s assessed value doesn’t necessarily guarantee a higher property tax bill, it most likely plays some role in property tax bill increases you've seen.

In part due to post-pandemic demand, inflation, and higher sales prices, the total assessed value of residential properties in Berwyn Township has increased by 30.56% since 2020. The accompanying property tax bills have grown for Berwyn residential taxpayers. For example, the total tax between 2021 and 2022 increased by 4.61% while the total tax between 2022 and 2023 increased by 9.66%, according to the Cook County Treasurer’s Office.

My office continues to help correct the overassessment of property, which could help provide future property tax relief for those who appeal. We’ve consistently corrected and reduced the value of residential property in Berwyn township in the past, and I’m happy to report that our work in tax year 2024 has continued this trend: we've reduced the value of residential property in the township by over $3.8M.

Knowing that our office continues to support Berwyn Township taxpayers, I encourage you to appeal your property’s assessed value to the Board of Review once the Cook County Assessor’s Office has completed its work and sent the township’s information to the Cook County Board of Review. You can find more information about key dates and deadlines for appealing by visiting our FAQs page at: www.cookcountyboardofreview.com/about/frequently-asked-questions. I’ll also be sure to write back and update you on when Berwyn Township opens for appeals with the Cook County Board of Review.

With Berwyn Township’s charming neighborhoods and humming commercial corridors, we need to ensure that residents aren’t being taxed out of the communities they love. One step you, your friends, family, and neighbors can take to potentially receive property tax relief in the future is to appeal with the Board of Review.

My team remains hard at work reviewing appeals. If you have any questions or would like to learn more, you can visit us online at www.cookcountyboardofreview.com or call the Board of Review office at (312) 603-5542. You can also subscribe to my newsletter here.

George Cardenas
Cook County Board of Review
District One