Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi lost big where property taxes in city, suburbs soared

The frustration Cook County homeowners feel about rising property taxes came out loud and clear in Tuesday’s race for county assessor — losing incumbent Fritz Kaegi performed the poorest in areas hardest hit by rising property taxes, helping pave the way for Lyons Township Assessor Pat Hynes’ surprising victory.

Last year, Chicago’s median residential tax bill rose 16.7%, to $4,457 — the largest percentage increase in at least 30 years. It was the third year in a row median homeowner taxes increased by more than 15%, according to the Cook County treasurer’s office. That came as taxpayers were asked to pay $872 million more in taxes.

Many of the wards where tax bills rose the most backed Hynes. He netted 4,717 more votes than Kaegi across the five wards that saw median property tax bills increase the most last year.

Overall, Kaegi won just over 50% of the city’s votes.

Even more stark was the 35,000-vote gap between Kaegi and Hynes in the suburbs, where property tax increases were even more pronounced, and where Hynes markedly outperformed Kaegi.

In the county’s North suburbs, where homeowners picked up 60% of the new tax burden, property taxes grew by 3.7%, compared to a 3.1% increase in the south suburbs, according to the treasurer’s office.

The county uses a triennial reassessment schedule, meaning a third of the county is reassessed every year. The south suburbs were hit with increases in 2024 while the city saw them in 2025. North suburbs will be reassessed next year.

“The work ahead is about fairness and justice for those who have been harmed over the last eight years,” Hynes said while accepting the nomination Tuesday.

To read the full story, visit chicago.suntimes.com.