Larry Dominick President at The Town of Cicero | Facebook Website
Larry Dominick President at The Town of Cicero | Facebook Website
The Town of Cicero has announced a window for property owners to file appeals with the Cook County Assessor’s Office, with assistance available from the Cicero Assessor's Office, headed by Emilio “Emo” Cundari. The appeal process is ongoing until June 6, 2025.
Cook County is unique in Illinois as local assessment decisions are determined solely by the County Assessor. Town President Larry Dominick clarifies that, “Cook County’s laws do not give the Town or Township of Cicero the authority to reduce or change anyone’s property assessments, regardless of the factors that caused those increases, or to reduce assessments because of damaging impacts such as flooding.” Dominick continues, “Property owners can challenge those increases ... by submitting their appeals to the Cook County Assessor’s Office, and the Town of Cicero has the resources and staff to help you begin that process.”
There is a common misconception, according to Cundari, that the Town of Cicero has influence over property assessments. However, Cundari states, “The Cook County Assessor’s Office can accept or reject the appeal. But we can help. We can assist. And we can offer guidance to help property owners maximize the chances of an appeal's success.”
Cundari advises seniors benefiting from the Senior Freeze Exemption to consider not filing appeals to avoid potentially losing their exemption, stating, “I would suggest that if you are receiving the SENIOR FREEZE Exemption (Low-income senior exemption) that you do not appeal, it could lower your assessment to the point where you lose your Senior Freeze exemption."
The Cicero Assessor’s Office is available to assist property owners with filing appeals. Additionally, property owners have the option to file from home through the Cook County Assessor’s website. The process involves following steps that start with clicking "File an Appeal," after which applicants receive an email confirmation.
For further assistance, the Assessor’s Office can be contacted at 708-656-3600 or via email at ecundari@thetownofcicero.com.
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