>> After a 4 month delay, many Cook County property owners got a shock when their property tax bills arrived.

The median home owners bill went up by a record-setting 16.7% to help cope with what they call unprecedented circumstances.

The Cook County Board of Review is announcing everyone who lives in a Cook County Township that's already closed its property tax appeal window.

We'll have another shot to file.

Joining us with more on that is Samantha Steele Board of Review Commissioner for District 2.

We should note we also invited the other 2 Board of review Commissioners Commissioners, George Cardenas and Larry Rogers Jr.

But they declined.

Samantha Steele, thank you for joining us.

We appreciate it.

Hi, Nick, thank you for having So we had a assessor.

Fritz, Katie on the program last week discussing why bills had gone up for some homeowners.

He hinted at bit disagreement between your 2 offices.

Here's some of what had to say.

>> When we finished our reassessment of Chicago, homeowners would have had actually 2 percentage points.

Let's of the burden.

Then they started with because we saw a residential values going up.

But we saw a commercial values being higher than where they had been in the last reassessment.

These values were cut at the Board of Review by nearly 20% for commercial properties were is only for one percent for residential properties.

And that shifted about half a billion dollars of the burden.

According to the treasure on the homeowners.

>> So commissioner, still, what's your reaction to those comments Adam Assessor Keiki has talked a lot about the Board of review.

And I think it's important for everyone to understand the border abuse role in the property tax cycle.

And we are the due process for taxpayers.

So if you feel that the assessor has on justly.

Raised your assessment, you come before the Board of Review after the Board of Review.

If you're not pleased with our values, are you know your appeal results, you can go on to the Pete had is called a property tax appeal board.

It's the state level or the circuit court.

And so those 2 different branches that you can maintain.

You know, your appeal at.

And so the Board of review is just one level.

We're your local level for appeal.

And and yes, do.

We settle appeals.

That's the role that we play.

And so, you know, while he makes a statement, it's misleading.

You know, we had.

Roughly around 50%.

56% Ed Appeals at the Board of Review settled and in taxpayer doesn't submit an appeal.

There is nothing we can at the border, if you can do.

And so you're just getting those settlements from people or businesses that are appealing at our office.

>> You know, Katie also argued some of these rising residential assessments and south and West side neighborhoods reflect wealth creation.

But of course, some homeowners say higher bills are pushing them Pretty balanced, so.

>> You know, I go.

I go back a few years and I think about pilsen and remember, they were they were just overly assessed at and and the assessor talks a lot about, you know, his new models he doesn't meet national industry.

Standard levels.

and so, you know, there are levels across the country that say if your assessment is axed, but the sale prices, why you have to add a factor in there to balance that out.

And that's to bring it to market value.

Garrett, the city try which happened last year, which is the tax bill that a lot of people are seeing right now and he didn't meet those industry standards to the Cook County has not had a physical inspection of properties since 1997.

And so you're looking at close to 30 years as property is not having a physical inspection, waxed a physical inspection.

I mean, the assessor's office isn't going out and looking at the overall appearance of your house so in Polson where had foreign companies coming in and purchasing properties and or individuals coming in purchasing remodeling them.

You have the longstanding residents that haven't done that and the U.S.

U.S.

to really needs to and I say be delineated neighborhoods.

And so he needs to make sure that the assessments are reflective of what is actually going on.

Not just these models.

And that is something that I have advocating for a couple of years now is that we need a physical inspection of the properties.

We need to read delineate the neighborhoods and told that is you're just going to keep seeing people appealed.

We have a 3rd of the county appeal every year.

In other jurisdictions, you see like a 5%, Hillary.

And so that's substantial.

>> You know, you back to study earlier this year, looking at communities where assessments were higher than sale prices.

What if you found?

>> Well, we did.

We found that the assessor was over valuing properties to We did the it is the city try.

And so I I reviewed and my staff had me staff look at and the assessor's values and compared them.

And so seeing like.

If a property sells, the assessor needs to go out and see why did that property?

what did it look like at the sail date?

they're not doing that.

And so properties are selling and then some of coming in and they're fixing them or they have already fix them up to that's where the disconnect is.

We're seeing.

And and so the border of you we we saw a 5% decrease in appeals at our office.

And you were with exploring the option of reopening and what that looks like for taxpayers.

The taxpayers need to understand that that is this next tax bill for that tax that they would get next year, not the current tax bill.

And so there is nothing the border you can do to help them.

Now, I would strongly encourage taxpayers to look at their assessed value.

Look at their property record card and make sure that it's accurate.

Make sure that with the assessor has is reflective of what they actually have in their property.

Make sure they're getting their homeowners exemptions.

There are senior freeze their, you know, their veterans What any occasion that they qualify for, making sure they're not leaving anything on the table You know, there's so-called circuit breaker bill that's been introduced in the General Assembly, which would offer credits to homeowners.

>> Who've seen their property taxes go up by 25% or more year-over-year mirroring laws and quite a few other states.

Is that a measure that you would support >> Yes, ultimately we're creating more band-aids for a sinking ship.

If the assessor doesn't go out and physically inspect properties were going to have to find little remedies to the underlying cause.

And the underlying cause is making sure that the data he has is accurate and it just plainly simple isn't.

And you see that with a 3rd of the Cafferty is appealing every year.

And you know that assessor has made comments that the Board of review is tied to property tax appeal.

Attorneys.

I take offense to that.

I personally do not accept campaign contributions from property tax attorneys.

And so for him to mislead taxpayers, to think that the Board of review is in the pocket of special interests.

Is it a disservice to the taxpayers it's offensive.

And it really should stop.

>> should Cook County consider caps that some other municipalities having a sort of limiting how much a homeowner's bill can go up year over year.

I would say gas.

I would also and this is something that my policy team has been working on the assessed value, how much that should go every year after year.

Right?

So the assessed value can increase substantially.

And we saw that in Rogers Park this last cycle for the Chicago trial.

We 300% increase.

You know, property owners can't afford that with your grocery bills going up, gas going out.

Every expenses going out than your property.

Tax bills, increasing 300%.

It's people are being taxed out of their profit.

homes and it it's a disservice to our taxpayers.

We've got just about 20 seconds left, but I want to ask, do we know yet when property owners?

>> We'll be able to file and these reopened.

When do we do not to my office?

My colleagues and I are working out a schedule and what that looks like for future tax bills.

I'm so we don't want to delay anything, but we also want to provide that opportunity.

It would just be for individuals that had not appealed already.

at our >> All right.

Well, I'm sure a