Board of Review ‘defense’ unit helped save taxing bodies $138M in 2019: Report 

The Cook County Board of Review is known for encouraging county property owners to dispute their tax assessments in the hopes that they’ll get a break on their annual bills. But a small, relatively new sector of the office has done the opposite, fighting to stymie tax appeals, and the board says they’ve saved local governments millions as a result. 

The board’s Property Tax Appeal Board Defense Unit, launched in 2017, dedicates about 15 lawyers and clerks to disputing appeals from property owners who believe the board — and the Cook County Assessor’s Office before them — set their assessments too high.