The Cook County property tax bill due March 1, 2019, shows taxpayers the debt of every local government that levies taxes on their homes and other real estate, helping explain why taxes rise, Treasurer Maria Pappas said today.

“The financial challenges facing local governments can seem unreal because the numbers are so large,” Pappas said. “The tax bills show homeowners the problems are indeed real.”

Anywhere from five to 13 taxing districts — local governments and school districts — levy taxes on a given property, Pappas explained.

On the front of every bill is a section called “Taxing District Debt and Financial Data,” which provides detailed information for each taxing district, including:

• Money owed by your taxing district
• Pension and health care amounts promised by your taxing districts
• Amount of pension and health care shortage
• Percentage of pension and health care costs taxing districts can pay

The First Installment for Tax Year 2018 is due March 1, 2019. The First Installment is always 55 percent of the prior year’s total taxes. Property owners can download a copy of the new bill by going to cookcountytreasurer.com. About 1.7 million property tax bills have been mailed to owners of homes, businesses and land, Pappas said.