Illinois legislature sends bill reforming property tax sale system to Gov. J.B. Pritzker – Chicago Tribune/MSN

As of May 3 of this year, for the 2021 tax year — which was billed in 2022 — owners of 73,733 properties in Cook County were behind on their taxes, a number that will drop as people make payments before the next sale season in February 2024, according to the treasurer’s office. Right after bills were due Dec. 30, more than 180,000 people were behind on their payments. The treasurer’s office says the “vast majority” of late fees are leveled at low-income, Black and Latino homeowners and reducing the interest rates will save residents a total of $25 million to $35 million a year, or about half of yearly penalty payments to the county.