Dear Taxpayers, 

I’m Jim Houlihan, Cook County Assessor, and I’m writing to ask for your support of the 7% Expanded Homeowner Tax Exemption that will be reviewed in the state legislature during the fall veto session. 

Those of you who know me know that my primary focus as Cook County Assessor has been to improve the quality of the public services my office provides. To do that, we’ve had to think a lot about what effective government really means.  

It means creating clearly thought-out policies; it means responding to the needs of constituents; it means making decisive choices even when they’re unpopular; and it means being transparent about how we, as public officials, use the taxpayers’ money. 

If you look closely at my record, you’ll see that I’ve been a proponent of open government in my ten years as Cook County Assessor. There are times in our careers as public officials when we need to ask the taxpayers for help. Now is such a time. I need your help. 

In the long run we need broad-based reform around property tax assessment and school funding in the State of Illinois. In the short run, our only means to stabilize the massive tax pressure on homeowners is to pass the 7% Expanded Homeowner Exemption through the state legislature. 

Tax policy can be confusing, but this issue is simple. The 7% EHE will help to relieve the heavy burden of tax pressure placed on homeowners to pay for our schools by capping the increase in the taxable assessed value of a homeowner’s property at 7% per assessment cycle. For more information about the 7% EHE visit my website at www.cookcountyassessor.com 

Please help me by calling your state legislator and urging him/her to support the 7% EHE.  

The 7% EHE Saves Homes! It Saves Neighborhoods! And It Saves Communities!  

I’m Jim Houlihan, Cook County Assessor, and I give my word I will protect the homeowners of Cook County by practicing the same good government practices I’ve practiced for ten years. Will you take a stand with me? 

 

Thank you,