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(a) As used in this section:
"Adjusted Gross Income" or "AGI" means adjusted gross income as defined in the Internal Revenue Code of the United States of America, 26 U.S.C. § 62.
"Applicable year" means tax year 2015.
"Director" means the Director of the Office of Budget and Management of the City of Chicago, or the Director's designee.
"Homeowner" means an individual who, at the time of the application and since January 1, 2014: (i) was the owner of record of, or had a legal or equitable interest in, property in this city that was used by the individual as the individual's principal place of residence; and (ii) was liable for paying the property taxes on the property, either directly or indirectly as the owner of a unit in a residential cooperative or as the owner of a beneficial interest in an Illinois land trust. For purposes of the definition of "homeowner," an equitable interest shall include a beneficial interest in property that is held by the owner of a unit in a residential cooperative or in an Illinois land trust.
"Household" means the homeowner and the spouse or domestic partner of the homeowner.
"Household adjusted gross income" or "HAGI" means the combined adjusted gross income of the household for the applicable year.
"Property taxes" means the taxes on real property for which a homeowner is liable under the Property Tax Code, 35 ILCS 200/1-1, et seq., when that property is used by the homeowner as the homeowner's principal place of residence.
"Property tax increase" means the amount by which the property taxes payable to the City of Chicago in tax year 2015 exceeds the property taxes payable to the City of Chicago in tax year 2014 for the same property.
"Senior homeowner" means any homeowner who is 60 years of age or older as of January 1, 2016.
(b) The Director is authorized to establish and administer a property tax relief program under this section for the purpose of providing assistance to certain homeowners whose property tax liability has risen, particularly relative to their household incomes as provided in this section, and supplemental assistance to certain long term senior homeowners whose property tax liability has risen. Under this program, a homeowner who meets the eligibility requirements under this section may receive a grant in the amount specified in this section. A homeowner shall be eligible for a grant under this section, if:
(1) the homeowner is granted the Homeowner's Exemption for the applicable year as specified in 35 ILCS 200/15-175;
(2) the homeowner is not delinquent in payment of property taxes on any property in the city; and
(3) the property tax increase for the property and the homeowner's household adjusted gross income are within the ranges specified in subsection (c).
(c) The amount of the grant to a homeowner meeting the eligibility requirements specified in subsection (b) shall be as set forth in the following chart, but shall not exceed the amount of that homeowner's property tax increase:
Grant Chart
Property Tax Increase Amount | HAGI $0 To $24,999 Grant Amount | HAGI $25,000 To $49,999 Grant Amount | HAGI $50,000 To $75,000 Grant Amount |
Property Tax Increase Amount | HAGI $0 To $24,999 Grant Amount | HAGI $25,000 To $49,999 Grant Amount | HAGI $50,000 To $75,000 Grant Amount |
$ 0 – $49.99 | $25 | $25 | $0 |
$ 50 – $99.99 | $50 | $25 | $0 |
$100 – $149.99 | $75 | $50 | $25 |
$150 – $199.99 | $100 | $75 | $50 |
$200 – $249.99 | $125 | $100 | $75 |
$250 – $299.99 | $150 | $125 | $100 |
$300 – $349.99 | $175 | $150 | $125 |
$350+ | $200 | $175 | $150 |
(d) A senior homeowner who satisfies the eligibility requirements of subsection (b), whose household adjusted gross income is less than $75,000, and whose Equalized Assessed Value of his or her residence has increased by 30 percent or more in the most recent Cook County triennial assessment, may also apply for and receive a senior supplement grant of $150.00 if the senior homeowner:
(1) has used the property identified in the grant application as his or her principal place of residence since January 1, 1998 or longer;
(2) has not received the Senior Freeze for the applicable year pursuant to 35 ILCS 200/15-172; and
(3) has not received the Homestead Improvement Exemption for the applicable year pursuant to 35 ILCS 200/15-180.
(e) No property tax relief grant or senior supplement grant shall be allowed if an applicant owes the city a debt, as defined in section 4-4-150(a)(1) and (a)(3) of this Code; provided, however, that the Director may allow a grant if: (i) the applicant has entered into a written agreement with the department or other appropriate city department for the payment of all debts owed the city and such applicant is in compliance with the agreement; or (ii) the applicant is contesting liability for or the amount of the debt in a pending administrative or judicial proceeding; or (iii) the applicant is a debtor in a pending case under the Bankruptcy Code in which an automatic stay is in effect; or (iv) the grant is first applied against the outstanding balance of debt owed by the applicant.
(f) To obtain a property tax relief grant and/or a senior supplement grant, a homeowner or senior homeowner shall file an application with the Office of Budget and Management or its designee. The application shall be on a form prescribed by the Director, and shall include all evidence reasonably required by the Director to show that the applicant is eligible to obtain a property tax relief grant and/or senior supplement grant, as applicable, under this section.
(g) The Director shall have authority to expend up to $20,000,00.00* of legally available funds for the implementation of this section. For purposes of this section, 2016 revenues in excess of actual expenses shall be deemed legally available and are hereby appropriated for purposes of the program established by this ordinance. However, the program created pursuant to this section shall be suspended at any time that no funds are legally available for the program. The Director shall additionally have authority to enter into agreements and execute documents necessary to implement this section (including entering into agreements with an entity or entities selected by the Director, on such terms as the Director determines reasonable, to process applications under the program), to promulgate rules necessary or appropriate to implement this section, and to prescribe application forms and other forms necessary to elicit relevant information concerning participants in the property tax relief program. The Director may conduct audits to determine eligibility of an applicant to participate in the program created pursuant to this section. Any personal financial information provided to the City in connection with an application submitted under this section shall remain confidential. The Director shall also have authority to develop criteria for, implement and administer an enhanced grant that exceeds the amount set forth in subsection (c) of this section in individual cases of extraordinary hardship. Any such enhanced grant shall not exceed the amount of that homeowner's property tax increase.
* Editor’s note – As set forth in C.J. 7-20-16, p. 28065, § 1; future legislation will correct if needed.
(h) This section shall be repealed on December 31, 2016. Such repeal shall not affect the Director's ability to process applications filed under subsection (f) prior to such date.
(Added Coun. J. 7-20-16, p. 28065, § 1)
Editor's note – Former section, as enacted by Coun. J. 12-2-09, p. 79513, § 1, was repealed by its terms on March 31, 2010.
Whenever the corporate authorities of the city shall provide by ordinance for the issuance of improvement bonds for the purpose of anticipating the collection of special assessments heretofore levied or hereafter to be levied, in pursuance of the provisions of the statutes of the state, such bonds shall be lithographed or steel- engraved on the best quality of heavy bond paper, of a design to be approved by the mayor, and shall be signed by the mayor, either personally or by a person designated by him according to law, and by the president of the board of local improvements, countersigned by the comptroller, and attested by the city clerk.
Coupons shall be attached to such bonds which shall bear the facsimile signature of the comptroller, and shall be in substantially the following form:
Coupon No.________ $________
The City of Chicago, Illinois, promises to pay to bearer at the office of the city treasurer, in said city, on the ________ day of ________ 19________, the sum of ________ dollars, being the annual interest on improvement bond No. ________, series No. ________, dated ________, issued in anticipation of the collection of the ________ deferred installment of special assessment No. ________, named in said bond, said sum to be paid solely out of the said installment when collected.
City Comptroller.
Each bond shall have its amount printed or lithographed across the face thereof in large figures.
(Prior code § 7-53)
The comptroller may, in his discretion, invite competitive bids for the purchase of local improvement bonds issued in anticipation of the collection of special assessments. Such bids shall be solicited by advertisement in a daily newspaper of the city inserted at least one week prior to the time fixed for opening the same. The bonds shall be sold to the bidder making the highest and best bid for the same, provided, that they shall not be sold below the par value thereof and accrued interest. The comptroller shall report to the city council the particulars regarding each sale of special assessment bonds so sold.
(Prior code § 7-54)
The comptroller is hereby authorized to issue certificates of payment of special assessments, certifying to the payment to the comptroller of any special assessment of which he has a record in his office, upon payment by the applicant therefor of a fee of $10.00 for each such certificate. The certificate shall state the number of the warrant, the number of the installment, the name of the payer, the date of payment, the description of the property, and the amount paid, and shall otherwise be in such form as may be approved by the comptroller.
(Prior code § 7-55; Amend Coun. J. 12-12-01, p. 75777, § 1.1; Amend Coun. J. 11-16-11, p. 13798, Art. I, § 2)
It shall be the duty of the comptroller to attend in person or by his representative all sales of property to enforce the collection of special assessments and to do any of the following:
(1) In default of other bidders, to bid thereat in behalf of the city;
(2) Withdraw from collection at such sale any special assessment or installment thereof levied by the city on any lot, parcel of land, or property subject to sale;
(3) Permit any such lot, parcel of land, or property to be forfeited to the state.
In all cases where the city has become a purchaser at any such sale the comptroller is authorized to sell or otherwise dispose of the city's interest in the property purchased for not less than the amount bid in behalf of the city, together with interest thereon at six percent per annum from the date of sale, and all fees, costs, charges and expenses of securing certificate of sale and tax deed. In all cases where any special assessment or installment thereof has been withdrawn from collection or property has been forfeited at any such sale on account of any delinquent special assessment or installment thereof, the comptroller is authorized to collect such delinquent special assessment or installment thereof, together with interest, penalties, costs, and fees due thereon and to waive any penalties for the first year in excess of seven percent and when such collection has been made to issue a proper receipt of deposit for redemption. A fee of $2.00 shall be charged for each estimate of redemption furnished, if based on a tax search, except for an estimate furnished to any municipality. Such estimate may include all lots, parcels of land, or property in the same block and in one ownership or any number of contiguous lots, parcels of land, or property in the same block in more than one ownership.
In all cases where the city has become a purchaser at any tax sale for the nonpayment of general taxes and water taxes, the comptroller is hereby authorized to dispose of the city's interest in the property purchased for not less than the amount bid together with all costs and expenses.
(Prior code § 7-56)
The comptroller is hereby authorized to make settlement of special assessment tax claims during the annual vacation periods of the city council, for not less than 75 percent of the total city claims in cases where property is overburdened with tax claims, liens and mortgages, provided each settlement shall be approved by the chairman of the committee on finance.
(Prior code § 7-57)
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