LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Suburbs like Cicero work to keep taxes low — but can’t tell other taxing bodies what to do

On August 17, a Sun-Times story detailed Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas’ report on how tax increases countywide are affecting Hispanic and African American communities.

Pappas’ report bundled the tax levies from all taxing bodies (municipality, parks, libraries, fire districts, schools districts, etc.) to show how all these taxes combined add up for homeowners suburb by suburb.

This might have left the impression that local municipalities themselves, such as the Town of Cicero, are wholly to blame for the increases, which is not the case. Cicero, for one, has worked hard to keep taxes low.

I am sure that is not what Treasurer Pappas intended to do.

The Town of Cicero has kept taxes down by attracting new businesses, converting idle lands into bustling industries and commercial areas, and better managing its existing operations. Despite burdens imposed by the COVID pandemic, Cicero has maintained all services without cutbacks or imposing higher new taxation.

By bundling all taxing districts into a single presence, Treasurer Pappas also inadvertently contradicted a report she released August 23, 2021, that clearly shows that during the past two decades, the Town of Cicero, as a municipality, had one of the lowest overall tax increases in comparison to nearly every other suburban municipality in Cook County.

While municipalities have a voice in what other taxing bodies do, they are constitutionally independent. In fact, municipalities that have held the line on taxation, like the Town of Cicero, should be spotlighted for helping to reduce the burden on homeowners and residents. Each taxing body should be assessed individually.

Ray Hanania, spokesman, Town of Cicero