You’re not alone if you feel that the county property tax system is complex. It is. One factor that plays a role in determining your property tax bill is your property’s assessed value. While an increase in assessed value doesn’t necessarily guarantee a higher property tax bill, it most likely plays some role in property tax bill increases you’ve seen.

Riverside Township has been challenged with property taxes for decades, and like other townships across Cook County, has seen increases in its total assessed value through the years. Fortunately, the Cook County Board of Review is a government office that provides taxpayers an opportunity to appeal the over-valuation of property assessments, potentially leading to property tax relief for those who appeal to our office.

In part due to post-pandemic demand and higher sales prices, the total assessed value of residential properties in Riverside Township has increased over 24% since 2020. The accompanying property tax bills continue to grow for residential taxpayers. For example, the total tax between 2021 and 2022 increased by 4.60% while the total tax between 2022 and 2023 increased by 11.61%.

My office continues to reduce the overassessment of property, which could help provide property tax relief for those who appeal. We’ve consistently corrected the value of property in Riverside Township in the past, and this trend continued in tax year 2024: for residential property, the Board of Review has provided over $2.3M worth of reductions.

I encourage you to appeal your property’s assessed value to the Board of Review once the County Assessor’s Office has completed its work and sent the township’s information to us. You can find more information about key appeal dates and deadlines by visiting our FAQs page: //www.cookcountyboardofreview.com/about/frequently-asked-questions. I’ll also be sure to update you on when Riverside Township opens for appeals with the Board of Review.

My team remains hard at work reviewing assessment appeals. If you have any questions or would like to learn more, you can visit us online at www.cookcountyboardofreview.com. You can also subscribe to my newsletter (https://www.cookcountyboardofreview.com/GeorgeCardenas)

George Cardenas
Cook County Board of Review
District One