ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – State Rep. Mark Walker, D-Arlington Heights, is praising Gov. J.B. Pritzker for signing House Bill 961 into law, ensuring seniors applying for the Senior Citizen Homestead Exemption this year will automatically be reenrolled every year.
“Property taxes are the number one issue I hear from residents,” Walker said. “Unfortunately, rising property taxes can be overly burdensome for our seniors. The Senior Citizen Homestead Exemption is a great resource to alleviate some of that burden, but often too many forget they must reapply yearly. I helped pass legislation changing that to automatic renewal and I’m glad the governor signed this bill into law accelerating that change.”
According to the Cook County Assessor’s Office, approximately 250,000 seniors currently receive the exemption. However, last year, over 25,000 seniors in Cook County did not file for the tax exemption. Walker co-sponsored House Bill 833 allowing seniors to be automatically reenrolled every year if they already receive the exemption. House Bill 961, recently signed into law by the governor, ensures that change applies to the 2019 tax year.
“We have to do all we can to fight skyrocketing property taxes,” Walker said. “Legislation like this is a good effort at cutting red tape and helping those on fixed incomes. Additionally, as a co-chair of the Property Tax Relief Task Force, I’m working to go beyond this exemption and enact reforms that will lower property taxes for our working families too.”
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