Treasurer Maria Pappas and Chicago-area elected officials today called upon the Illinois General Assembly to increase the time hard-pressed taxpayers have to pay delinquent taxes, as 57,515 property owners must pay $188.2 million before the Annual Tax Sale begins May 8, 2020.

"For homeowners struggling to avoid the Annual Tax Sale, additional time can make the difference between losing a home and saving it," Pappas said at a news conference.

Property owners had a dozen months to pay delinquent taxes before the Annual Tax Sale. In 2014, the legislature shortened the time period, which is now nine months.

Senate Bill 3356, introduced in the Illinois General Assembly on Feb. 14, 2020, would set the deadline at 13 months. Pappas helped draft the bill, which is sponsored by Sen. Elgie Sims Jr. (17th) and co-sponsored by Deputy Majority Leader Sen. Laura Murphy (28th), Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton (24th) and Sen. Mattie Hunter (3rd).

Among those who participated in the news conference were:

Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton (24th). Reps. Marcus Evans Jr. (33rd), Debbie Meyers-Martin (38th) and Jawaharial Williams (10th).

Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Dan Patlak and former Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin. Representatives of County Commissioners Bill Lowry (3rd), Deborah Sims (5th) and Board of Review Commissioner Michael Cabonargi.

Aldermen James Cappleman (46th), George Cardenas (12th), James Gardiner (45th), Brian Hopkins (2nd), Raymond Lopez (15th), Emma Mitts (37th), Ariel Reboyras (30th), Roderick Sawyer (6th), Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th), Tom Tunney (44th) and a representative of Ald. David Moore (17th).

Members of the clergy, including: the Rev. Michael Pfleger, the Rev. Janette Wilson Esq., the Rev. James Boyd, the Rev. John Harrell, Bishop Claude Porter, the Rev. Floyd Skinner, Bishop Horace Smith and a representative of the Rev. Johnny L. Miller.

Honorary Cook County Deputy Treasurers William Buchholtz, Octavian Cojan, Marta Farion, Jin Lee, Sam Chu Ma, Arun Sampanthavivat and Marco Polo Valladolid. Community leaders Dr. Mazen Barakat, Byron Prado and Irene Rotter.

The Annual Tax Sale, required by state law, imposes a hardship on the most vulnerable homeowners, Pappas said. Among the properties with delinquent taxes:

• About 20,800 owners may be unaware of the Tax Sale because the U.S. Postal Service has returned their bills and notices
• About 24,600 owe less than $1,000
• About 2,400 homes are owned by senior citizens

Homeowners can avoid the Tax Sale by paying all delinquent taxes and interest before the Sale begins. To see if your taxes are delinquent—and to make a payment—visit cookcountytreasurer.com and select "Avoid the Tax Sale." You can search by address.

Lists of all the properties, by municipality and Chicago ward, are published on cookcountytreasurer.com. The May 8 Tax Sale is for homes, businesses and land with unpaid bills for Tax Year 2018 (originally due in 2019).