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Wednesday • March 12, 2025 INSIDE THIS ISSUE • GAMES & PUZZLES - Page 6 • LIBRARY EVENTS - Page 2
Applications for Property Tax Savings Now Available Cook County — Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi announced at a press conference today that property tax–saving exemptions applications for the 2024 tax year are now available online. Exemptions are savings that contribute to lowering a homeowner’s property tax bill. The most common is the Homeowner Exemption, which saves a property owner an average of $950 dollars each year. Here are some key things that homeowners should know when applying for exemptions. The Homeowner, Senior, and Persons with Disabilities Exemptions are automatically renewed. Postcards will be mailed to households confirming that no action is needed. Homeowners must reapply for the Veterans with Disabilities and the “Senior Freeze” Exemptions. Seniors and veterans that need to reapply will be mailed application booklets in the coming weeks. “Every homeowner should take full advantage of the exemptions they are entitled to. When I am in the community talking to residents about their property taxes, the first thing I tell them is to check for missing exemptions,” Assessor Kaegi said. “If you own and live in your home you are most likely eligible for the Homeowner Exemption, regardless of citizenship status. If you live in your home and don’t claim this and other exemptions, you’re missing out on hundreds of dollars in property tax savings.” “On behalf of our roughly 500,000 members in Cook County, AARP Illinois stands with Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi to remind older adults aged 65 and older to apply for the Senior Exemption, and for those incomeeligible, the Low-Income Senior Freeze Exemption,” said Philippe Largent, State Director of AARP Illinois. “AARP members have told us repeatedly that rising costs have made it more difficult to age in place. For this reason, we are partnering with the Cook County Assessor to provide information and resources about these cost-cutting initiatives and programs, including through virtual and in-person educational workshops in the coming months.” “The Cook County Assessor’s Office’s Homestead Exemption for Veterans with Disabilities is a vital resource that provides much-needed financial relief to our Veterans and their families. The Veterans Assistance Commission of Cook County (VACCC) is proud to partner with the Assessor’s Office to promote these essential benefits and ensure that every eligible Veteran is aware of and can access the exemptions they have
earned. Together, we are working to honor and support those who have served by easing their financial burdens and improving their quality of life” said Elizabeth Soto, Superintendent for the VACCC. “We know that understanding the property tax system can make a real difference for homeowners. That’s why we provide free services to help residents learn about exemptions and other options. Through webinars and workshops like this one working directly with the Assessor’s Office, we equip community members with the information they need to keep their homes affordable,” said Danielle Matthews, Director of Homeownership Services, Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago (NHS) “At The Resurrection Project, we are committed to helping families keep their homes affordable and stable. Property tax exemptions are a critical tool for reducing financial strain, and we want every homeowner to receive the savings they deserve—including recovering missed exemptions, said Salvador Garcia, Housing Stability Supervisor at The Resurrection Project. “We encourage all eligible homeowners to take advantage of this opportunity. Please reach out to us for guidance, education, and translation support.” New homeowners, first-time applicants, or those that need to reapply can now do so online at www. cookcountyassessor.com/exemptions. Homeowners are strongly encouraged to apply online so there is a digital record of their application. This allows Assessor staff to easily locate the application, provide a status update, and notify the homeowner if missing documents are needed. This year, homeowners reapplying online will have access to a streamlined application form, reducing the time it takes to apply. If homeowners are unsure of their existing exemptions, they can review the “Exemptions History & Status” section of the “Property Details” page for their home. Exemptions forms are available in Spanish, Polish, and simplified Chinese languages. Applications can be downloaded at www. cookcountyassessor.com/exemptions. As a reminder, exemptions are only reflected on the second installment tax bill. Homeowners can join virtual exemptions workshops on Facebook and YouTube at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18, in English and on Wednesday, March 19, in Spanish. For a list of upcoming in-person and virtual outreach events, visit www.cookcountyassessor.com/event-list.
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USDA outlines new $1 billion HPAI strategy By DANIEL GRANT - FarmWeek USDA recently unveiled a new strategy to slow the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), ease the rising cost of eggs and protect the U.S. poultry industry. Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins detailed a new five-pronged strategy to combat HPAI in which USDA plans to invest up to $1 billion as part of the comprehensive effort. This is in addition to funding already being provided to indemnify growers for depopulated poultry flocks. Plans for the new investments to combat HPAI include $500 million for biosecurity measures, $400 million in financial relief for affected farmers and $100 million for vaccine research, action to reduce regulatory burdens and exploring temporary import options. “President (Donald) Trump understands the importance of addressing this issue head on, and USDA is taking action to support farmers, strengthen supply chains and bring egg prices down,” Rollins said. The five-pronged approach to address issues with HPAI, or bird flu, includes the following: • Invest in gold-standard biosecurity measures for all U.S. poultry producers. As part of the effort, USDA will expand its highly successful Wildlife Biosecurity Assessments to producers across the nation, beginning with egg-layer facilities, to safeguard farms from the cause of 83% of HPAI cases — transmission from wild birds. • Increase relief and aid to farmers and accelerate
repopulation. • Remove unnecessary regulatory burdens on the chicken and egg industry to further innovation and reduce consumer prices. • Explore pathways toward vaccines, therapeutics and other strategies to protect egg-laying chickens to reduce instances of depopulation. USDA approved a conditional license for bird flu in poultry this month, another step toward a vaccine. • Consider temporary import-export options to reduce costs on consumers and evaluate international best practices. USDA will explore options to temporarily increase egg imports and decrease exports, if applicable, to supplement the domestic supply. The HPAI outbreak in the U.S. is nearing its fourth year, during which time more than 150 million egg-laying hens and chickens raised for meat were culled. It also spread to dairy cattle in the past year. The average price of a dozen eggs nationwide subsequently skyrocketed from $1.47 in January 2021 to $4.95 last month. “American farmers need relief, and American consumers need affordable food,” Rollins recently wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. “To every family struggling to buy eggs: We hear you, we’re fighting for you and help is on the way.” This story was distributed through a cooperative project between Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Press Association. For more food and farming news, visit FarmWeekNow.com
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