Quotes Professor Christopher Berry December 02, 2024 Property taxes in the south suburbs have recently skyrocketed in the highest increase in three decades, with the Chicago Sun-Times recounting the story of one homeowner whose tax bill more than quadrupled between installments. Black residents in these communities have been impacted the most, further highlighting inequalities in the Cook County tax code. The number of different bodies levying taxes on residents, coupled with declining population, is responsible for increasing bills. Professor Christoher Berry tells the Sun-Times that this current tax infrastructure is not sustainable. He says: “We can’t have a situation in which the government continuously, and in the long run, grows faster than the private economy. I do think that’s essentially the concern in a lot of the southern suburbs... that the tax base is shrinking, the spending is going up, and those two things cannot continue to happen simultaneously for very long before a jurisdiction goes bankrupt or people move out.” Berry argues that boosting the private economy in these suburbs is essential to resolving the problem, working to support these communities before it's too late. Read the full story here Faculty Spotlight Christopher Berry William J. and Alicia Townsend Friedman Professor; Director, Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation Christopher R. Berry is the William J. and Alicia Townsend Friedman Professor at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and the College. He is the academic director of the Center for Municipal Finance. He studies metropolitan governance and the politics of public finance. Upcoming Events More events Harris Campus Visit Thu., January 16, 2025 | 9:45 AM Harris School of Public Policy 1307 E 60th St Chicago, IL 60637 United States Get to Know Harris! Lunch and Learn at the Urban Labs Thu., January 16, 2025 | 12:00 PM Urban Labs at the University of Chicago 190 S La Salle Street Floor 26 Chicago, IL 60603 United States Get to Know Harris! A Virtual Information Session Wed., January 22, 2025 | 8:00 AM
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