(Above) Brendan Reilly (right) files nominating petitions at the Cook County Clerk’s Office on October 27 to begin his campaign for Cook County Board President. Photo provided by Citizens for Reilly.

By Steven Dahlman

Nov. 26, 2025 – Declining commercial property values in downtown Chicago have shifted the tax burden to homeowners, says 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly, now running for Cook County Board President.

Soaring property taxes, says Reilly, have affected families throughout the county, with the median homeowner bill increasing by 16.7 percent.

“These increases didn’t happen in a vacuum,” said Reilly on Tuesday as he announced a new campaign ad. “Downtown commercial properties lost nearly $400 million in assessed value. Thanks to Cook County’s broken property tax system, that dramatic drop in commercial property value shifted the tax burden directly on to homeowners – many who can least afford it.”

(Left) Reilly puts away expensive groceries in a campaign ad for Cook County Board President.

Reilly is running against incumbent Toni Preckwinkle for the Democratic nomination for Cook County Board President in the March 2026 Primary. Preckwinkle is seeking her fifth term as county president.

Since Preckwinkle took office in 2010, Reilly says, government spending by the county has increased 250 percent, while core services, public safety, affordable housing, and healthcare access have declined.

Adding to the economic strain, he says, are delayed tax bills, sometimes arriving four months late.

“People are now receiving letters telling them their escrow is short by $2,300 or $4,000, with just a month to pay,” said Reilly. “Cook County really blew it this time.”

Reilly says he can end skyrocketing property taxes by growing the tax base. His television ad, airing through the end of the year, he says, is meant to “start a broader conversation about the need to make strategic investments in programs that deliver real results.”

Reilly has lived in downtown Chicago since 1997. He was elected alderman in 2007 after defeating Burton Natarus, who had served for 36 years.

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