The Latest Breaking News from Fritz Kaegi

Bally’s Medinah Temple temporary casino landlord Albert Friedman will hit $20 million jackpot under 4-year lease

Albert M. Friedman will get more than $16.5 million in rent and a $330,000 management fee under his four-year lease, obtained by the Sun-Times. Bally’s also must pay a property tax bill that’s topped $1.1 million a year.

Chicago Sun-Times · Sep 8, 2023

Arlington Park track’s property tax bill cut by half

The property tax bill for Arlington Park this year was reduced from $16.1 million to $7.8 million.

Chicago Sun-Times · May 31, 2023

Thousands of homeowners in north and northwest Cook County facing property tax sticker shock this fall

Figures from Schaumburg, Hanover, Barrington, New Trier and Norwood Park townships make clear homeowners are in for higher property taxes while many commercial landlords will take less of a hit.

Chicago Sun-Times · May 5, 2023

Is Chuy running away with race for Chicago mayor? Local 150 poll shows he is.

The poll of 700 likely Chicago voters conducted Nov. 10-17 by Impact Research shows U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia leading Mayor Lori Lightfoot by 7 percentage points in Round One and clobbering the incumbent in a runoff.

Chicago Sun-Times · Dec 13, 2022

Cook County property tax bills posted online after monthslong delay

The second-installment bills typically mailed by August were stalled by delays with the assessment process and a computer system upgrade in the county assessor’s office.

Chicago Sun-Times · Nov 15, 2022

Homeowners were in line for lower property tax bills. Here’s why they likely won’t get them.

The Cook County Board of Review often slashes commercial property assessments, saying it is just correcting mistakes by Assessor Fritz Kaegi’s office. But that results in higher taxes, mostly for homeowners, who deserve more transparency on the board’s operations.

Chicago Sun-Times · Nov 15, 2022

Lawmaker to block $50M for Near South Side high school until Lightfoot, CPS address community concerns

State Rep. Theresa Mah had been among the strongest backers of the idea to build a new high school. But she called the city’s plan “offensive” and politically motivated.

Chicago Sun-Times · Sep 27, 2022

Cook County tax bills on pace to arrive ‘by end of 2022’

Timeline tight to get bills out in time for property owners to claim a hefty deduction with the IRS.

Chicago Sun-Times · Sep 26, 2022

How UIC has cost Cook County taxpayers $1.2 million

The university never told county officials it was leasing to a preschool — which could be on the hook for over $800,000 in property taxes. So the bills went to a past tenant — which refused to pay the county over $400,000 in taxes but was allowed to renew its…

Chicago Sun-Times · Sep 9, 2022

Cook County homeowners told to pay up for tax breaks they shouldn’t have received, Illinois Dems’ assault weapons ban and more in your Chicago news roundup

Today’s update is a 5-minute read that will brief you on the day’s biggest stories.

Chicago Sun-Times · Jul 8, 2022