CBS 2 Chicago wbbm7801059 670 The Score

Local

Cook County Tax Bills To Offer Unflattering Look At Local Government Finances

Cook County government seal (CBS)

Cook County government seal (CBS)

Jay Levine

Reporting Jay Levine

Don't Miss This

(CBS) — When the new Cook County tax bills go out this weekend, there will be more than the usual bad news for property owners.

Treasurer Maria Pappas has outed the towns, school districts and other taxing bodies with balance sheets that will make you cringe. In some cases, it might make you wonder why you want to live where you do.

“This is the first time in the United States that such a thing been done,” Pappas tells CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine.

Who’s going to be unhappy with the bill format?

“Anybody who’s been hiding the information,” Pappas says.

In addition to the amount you owe for the first installment, the bill now includes every taxing body you pay, from Cook County, its forest preserve, the city of Chicago, schools and parks.

The bill will also include their gross operating budgets and pension liabilities, and the percentage that their pension liability is funded. In other words: a snapshot of the financial condition of your community.

Says Pappas: “I think the first reaction is ‘Oh, my God, I didn’t realize this was happening, so I think people have to step back look at it and say, ‘You know what? Am I buying a home in this suburb which has so much debt?’”

Want a closer look, or a comparison of those around you? That’s on the treasurer’s website.

Chicago for example, as of last year, had $30 billion in debts, plus unfunded pension liabilities of another $15 billion. Its employees’ pensions are just 44 percent funded. All that debt, compared with an annual budget of $6 billion a year.

Evanston owes $331 million, plus another $205 million for pensions just 47 percent funded, with an annual budget of $73 million. Chicago Heights owes $75 million, plus $44 million for pensions, which are 65 percent funded and a budget of $54 million.

Pappas predicts the 1.7 million people who get bills next week will be happy with the wealth of information. Meanwhile, she says, about 30 people will be unhappy.

Who are those 30? The folks in charge of municipalities or agencies with huge debts and no money to pay them. Which means tax increases could be just around the corner. Something taxpayers might not have known before Pappas’ secret project.

Listen Live!

RSS Most Popular News

Follow CBS Chicago

Like us on foursquare

RSS Contests & Promotions

  • Benjamin Moore Which Team Colors Matter Most? May 24, 2013
    Which Team Colors matter most to you? Either way, you could be a winner! Just sign up now for a chance to win $500 Depot Dollars to the Chicago Sports Depot to pick up some gear with your favorite team colors as they battle it out this week!
  • AVEENO® MEN’S “Building a Healthier Foundation” Sweepstakes May 21, 2013
    AVEENO® Men’s™ knows your family is your foundation. And to take good care of them, you need to take good care of yourself. Win a family day at the ballpark from AVEENO® Men’s™.
  • Join Hankook Tire To Reel In The Next Big Catch May 20, 2013
    Join Hankook tire to reel in the next great catch! Click here to go to www.TirePrize.com and enter for your chance to win the ultimate fishing excursion in Puerto Rico!
  • Meet Jim Rome On Set In Los Angeles May 20, 2013
    AutoZone and the Jim Rome Show are giving one winner and a guest a trip to meet Jim Rome in Los Angeles on the set of his Showtime television show! Enter for your chance to win!
WBBM Newsradio 780, Radio Stations & Broadcast Companies, Chicago, IL

Twitter Updates