North Suburban Homeowners Hit With 3 Percent Property Tax Hike

CHICAGO — The office of the Cook County clerk Wednesday released the 2017 property tax rates. For the first time, the total amount billed by the county's more than 1,400 taxing bodies exceeds $14 billion, according to a release. This means average north suburban homeowners should expect to see increases of about 3 percent on their property tax bills, which will be mailed out shortly with payment due Aug. 1.

The clerk's office calculates property tax bills based on the amount of money levied by taxing districts, applicable tax rates, the property's assessed value, the state "equalization factor," which looks to control for differences between the assessed values of properties to their actual selling prices.

Changes to state law governing exemptions for homeowners and senior citizens resulted in 40 percent more residential property tax exemptions in the north suburbs than last year, the clerk's office said. The adjustments shift more of Cook County's property tax burden onto industrial and commercial properties, which are ineligible for the exemptions.

North suburban Cook County was not reassessed this year, so taxable values only increased by 1.8 percent. In the south and western suburbs, which were reassessed, assessed values increased by 13.5 percent.

The owner of the average north suburban home, valued at nearly $300,000, will pay $213 more on their 2017 bill than last year.

South suburban property owners tend to see higher tax rates than those in Chicago or the north suburbs, which have a larger tax base.

According to the clerk's office, public bodies like schools and municipalities have to provide services funded mostly by property taxes regardless of the difference in taxable value. Even with significantly higher rates, taxing districts in more depressed areas of the county bring in far less revenue than richer areas.

"The Illinois property taxes system is regressive and disproportionately impacts people in poorer regions," said Clerk David Orr. "The overreliance on this mechanism of funding local government compounds existing inequities.” Orr's office said the county clerk has consistently called on the state to adopt a fairer income tax that promotes less reliance on property taxes.

The clerk's office also provided breakdowns of rate changes for 2017 property tax bills for each municipality in Cook County. The average composite rates are calculated using the total number of property identification numbers in the town. Individual rates may vary depending on which taxing districts encompass any given property.

According to the data, the largest increase in property taxes on the North Shore was in Northbrook, where the average composite rate rose by 1.7 percent. In some towns, including Deerfield, Evanston, Winnetka and Skokie, the composite rate fell.

Check out the property tax changes for Cook County's north suburban municipalities, presented alphabetically:

Deerfield

• 2017 Average Composite Rate: 8.272%
• 2016 Average Composite Rate: 8.303%
• Percentage Change in Average Composite Rate: -0.37%
• Notable Rate Changes:
  • Northbrook Rural Fire Protection District: +1.88%
  • Northbrook Park District: -0.95%
  • Village of Deerfield: -1.53 %

Evanston

• 2017 Average Composite Rate: 9.054%
• 2016 Average Composite Rate: 9.076%
• Percentage Change in Average Composite Rate: -0.23%
• Notable Rate Changes:
  • Lighthouse Park District: +2.78%
  • Library Fund: +2.49%
  • City of Evanston: -0.73%
  • Evanston General Assistance: -2.86%

Glencoe

• 2017 Average Composite Rate: 8.33%
• 2016 Average Composite Rate: 8.269%
• Percentage Change in Average Composite Rate: 0.75%
• Notable Rate Changes:
  • New Trier Township: +2.04%
  • Northfield Township: -4.17%

Glenview

• 2017 Average Composite Rate: 7.641%
• 2016 Average Composite Rate: 7.610%
• Percentage Change in Average Composite Rate: 0.41%
• Notable Rate Changes:
  • Village of Glenview Special Service Area No. 87: +100%
  • Village of Glenview: +7.14%
  • School District 30: +11.41%
  • General Assistance Main Township: -22.22%

Kenilworth

• 2017 Average Composite Rate: 8.44%
• 2016 Average Composite Rate: 8.41%
• Percentage Change in Average Composite Rate: 0.39%
• Notable Rate Changes:
  • New Trier Township: +2.04%
  • Forest Preserve District: -1.59%

Morton Grove

• 2017 Average Composite Rate: 10.563%
• 2016 Average Composite Rate: 10.506%
• Percentage Change in Average Composite Rate: 0.55%
• Notable Rate Changes:
  • Village of Morton Grove: +3.42%
  • Morton Grove Park District: +3.02%
  • Community High School District 219: -1.47%
  • Maine Township General Assistance: -22.22%

Niles

• 2017 Average Composite Rate: 8.762%
• 2016 Average Composite Rate: 8.688%
• Percentage Change in Average Composite Rate: 0.85%
• Notable Rate Changes:
  • Village of Niles: +8.84%s
  • Golf Maine Park District: +3.22
  • North Maine Fire Protection District: +2.82%

Northbrook

• 2017 Average Composite Rate: 7.899%
• 2016 Average Composite Rate: 7.767%
• Percentage Change in Average Composite Rate: 1.7%
• Notable Rate Changes:
  • Village of Northbrook: +14.22 %
  • School District 30: +11.41%
  • Northbrook Rural Fire Protection District: +1.88%
  • Northbrook Park District: -0.95%

Northfield

• 2017 Average Composite Rate: 7.332%
• 2016 Average Composite Rate: 7.280%
• Percentage Change in Average Composite Rate: 0.71%
• Notable Rate Changes:
  • Village of Northfield: +5.66%
  • Northfield Township: -4.17%

Skokie

• 2017 Average Composite Rate: 10.184%
• 2016 Average Composite Rate: 10.187%
• Percentage Change in Average Composite Rate: -0.02%
• Notable Rate Changes:
  • School District 73: +7.45%
  • Morton Grove Park District: +3.02%
  • Village of Skokie: -1.84%
  • Community High School District 219: -1.47%

Wilmette

• 2017 Average Composite Rate: 7.784%
• 2016 Average Composite Rate: 7.735%
• Percentage Change in Average Composite Rate: 0.64%
• Notable Rate Changes:
  • Wilmette Public Schools District 39: +1.41%
  • New Trier Township High School District 203: +0.96%
  • Wilmette Public Library: -4.43%

Winnetka

• 2017 Average Composite Rate: 7.850%
• 2016 Average Composite Rate: 7.899%
• Percentage Change in Average Composite Rate: -0.62%
• Notable Rate Changes:
  • New Trier Township: +2.04%
  • Glencoe Park District: +1.54%
  • Metropolitan Water Reclamation District: -0.99
  • Village of Winnetka Special Service Area No. 3: -7.39%

Read the complete report, including property tax rates for every Cook County town, from the office of Clerk David Orr.