Thank you for visiting my website. It is an honor and privilege to serve as the Cook County Board Commissioner and Forest Preserve District Board Commissioner for the 13th District which includes the following Cities and Villages: 49th & 50th Wards of the City of Chicago, the City of Evanston and the Villages of Glencoe, Glenview, Kenilworth, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Skokie, Wilmette and Winnetka. 

Although our Cook County government has a low profile, it is a vast operation with many important responsibilities and an annual budget of $6 billion. It is responsible for operating our court system, jail, maintaining over 69,000 acres of forest preserves, and acting as a healthcare safety net through the operation of three hospitals and sixteen clinics.

The purpose of this site is to provide information on Cook County government and the Forest Preserve District of Cook County as well as links to other government resources. I regularly post news stories and information on County and Forest Preserve issues which may be of interest to you. Additionally, my legislative library contains up-to-date information on County and Forest Preserve legislation.

I encourage you to contact me with any questions or ideas you have regarding Cook County or the Forest Preserve District. I hope you find this site useful. Thank you for taking the time to visit.

Sincerely,

Larry Suffredin

A RESOLUTION PASSED BY THE COUNTY BOARD HONORING THE LIVES OF COOK COUNTY 13TH DISTRICT RESIDENTS WHO HAVE DIED FROM COVID-19,

Residents can also visit the Board of Review website at cookcountyboardofreview.com.

As a reminder, the deadline for Rogers Park residents to appeal to the Board of Review is Tuesday, October 13.      

Click here to watch a video message from Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas.

Starting July 1, Cook County taxpayers will receive their 2019 final installment tax bill in the mail. (Cook County collects 2019 taxes in 2020)

Commissioner Larry Suffredin is offering to assist any homeowner understand the exemptions that they are entitled to and to help homeowners file for an exemption if it does not appear on their tax bill.

“For many, this year’s bill will be a tax increase from their 2018 bill,” said Suffredin. “We will help any homeowner get the exemptions they are entitled to.”

Final installment property tax payments are due by August 3, but if a resident pays by October 1 there will be no interest or penalties added to the tax amount. After October 1, taxes are subject to interest and penalties and could be subject to the tax sale of the property. For this reason, it is important to pay before October 1.

At this time, homeowners cannot appeal their assessment. But they can review the bill for correctness.

The key exemptions are:

1. Homeowner: the homeowner owns the property and lives there;

2. Senior Homeowner: the homeowner owns the property and lives there, and was born in 1954 or before;

3. Senior Freeze: the homeowner owns the property and lives there, the homeowner was born in 1954 or before, and the homeowner's 2018 household income was $65,000 or less.

Options to Correct Tax Bill

Homeowners who have missing exemptions or an error in their tax bill should do one of the following before paying the bill:

• Call Commissioner Suffredin’s office at 847-864-1209 or email mjordan@suffredin.org
• New Trier Township homeowners: Contact New Trier Township Assessor Jan Churchwell (847-446-8202 or jchurchwell@newtriertownship.com)
• Niles Township homeowners: Contact Niles Township Assessor Scott Bagnall (847-673-9300 or assessor@nilestownshipgov.com)

Payment Options

Once a homeowner is satisfied that their exemptions are correct, they can safely pay their bill to the Cook County Treasurer in one of the following ways:

1. Mail a check using the envelope provided

2. Pay online cookcountytreasurer.com

3. Pay at any Chase Bank location 

 Cook County COVID-19 Response Plan: From Rapid Response to Equitable Recovery

For details click here and here

Contact Tracing Job Opportunity 

The Cook County Department of Public Health recently announced that it will be hiring 400 contact tracers to help with the work of preventing the spread of coronavirus. Priority will be given to hiring people from the community who are culturally competent and multi-lingual. Emphasis will also be placed on reaching communities hardest hit by the virus. While they have not established the formal application process, interested people can indicate their interest at the Cook County Department of Public Health Website: https://www.cookcountypublichealth.org/communicable-diseases/covid-19/contact-tracing/. When you get to the page, scroll to the bottom where you will find a link titled “IDPH Contact Tracing Interest Form.” Use that link to indicate your interest. Persons and organizations expressing interest will be contacted when applications for the position are on-line and hiring begins.

Important Coronavirus Information from the Centers for Disease Control 

How Coronavirus spreads:

-Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).
-Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

The best way to prevent illness:
-Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
-Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
-Stay home when you are sick.
-Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
-Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
-Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
-If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

Here are six reliable sources of up- to-date information:

1) The Centers for Disease Control https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4xtFGccc_Y 

NSMAD Weekly Report Click here to read the most recent report here

  8/5/2020

The North Shore Mosquito Abatement District has found the first West Nile virus positive mosquitoes to occur in our traps in Northbrook this year.

A batch of mosquitoes, collected on July 29, 2020, from an NSMAD trap in Northbrook, tested positive for West Nile virus in our lab on July 30.

WNV positive batches of mosquitoes have also been found in NSMAD traps in Evanston, Glencoe, Glenview/Golf, Kenilworth, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Skokie, Wilmette and Winnetka. Please visit our websiteto see the most current test results.

While the risk of being infected with West Nile virus is low at this time, the NSMAD recommends that residents take personal protection measures to minimize mosquito bites including using insect repellent, wearing loose fitting clothing and avoiding peak mosquito feeding times during the hours around dawn and dusk. Residents are urged to examine their property and eliminate any items that can hold water, particularly smaller items that may be easily overlooked.

Remember, if it can hold water, it can breed mosquitoes.