Cook County deserves an assessor who governs with fairness, equity, and common sense. Unfortunately, under Assessor Fritz Kaegi, too many South and West Side homeowners have experienced the opposite.
During Kaegi’s tenure, property taxes in Black and working-class communities have risen at alarming and unacceptable rates. Neighborhoods such as West Garfield Park, Englewood, North Lawndale, Austin, and South Shore were hit especially hard, with the average tax bill increasing by 16.7 percent last year alone. These increases are not minor adjustments—they are drastic, destabilizing, and devastating.
The pattern is deeply troubling. While South and West Side communities saw crushing increases, areas like Lincoln Park and Streeterville experienced little to no tax hike at all. That disparity is impossible to ignore. In effect, this system mirrors historic practices of redlining and contract buying—policies that extracted wealth from Black communities while shielding affluent neighborhoods from harm. Calling this outcome anything other than unjust would be dishonest. Racism 2026 style.
The assessor’s explanation—that declining commercial values on North Michigan Avenue required shifting the tax burden elsewhere—is both inadequate and unfair. South and West Side homeowners do not share in North Michigan Avenue’s profits, and they should not be forced to absorb its losses. This logic punishes communities already struggling with disinvestment and economic inequality.
The consequences are real. Families are facing financial strain, the threat of arrears, and in some cases, the possibility of losing their homes. An assessor’s job is not merely to calculate values—it is to administer the tax system fairly and responsibly. On that measure, Fritz Kaegi has failed and is unfit to continue in this office.
Patrick J. Hynes (Image created by AI for Public Domain Usage)
Patrick J. Hynes offers a clear and compelling alternative.
With more than 30 years of experience in property taxation and as the current Lyons Township Assessor, Hynes brings both expertise and integrity to the role. I witnessed his work firsthand at a community meeting where residents were asked to bring their new tax bills. One by one, Hynes reviewed each bill patiently and expertly. In most cases, he found errors and immediately used his phone to file requests for corrections on the spot.
In the span of about an hour, Patrick Hynes saved residents real money—and likely saved some families from hardship, arrears, or even foreclosure. That is what public service looks like. Competence. Compassion. Accountability.
Hynes understands that assessment is not just about numbers—it is about people, homes, and communities. He has shown that fairness and equity are not abstract ideals but daily practices.
For these reasons, and out of a commitment to justice and fairness for all Cook County homeowners, we proudly support Patrick J. Hynes for Cook County Assessor.
My kind of guy.
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February 10, 2026 at 07:35PM
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