Evanston homeowners will wait at least two more months for their second-installment property tax bills, which county officials now estimate will be due around Thursday, October 1, rather than the usual August 1 deadline.

The delay is shorter than last year's, when a botched computer-system rollout pushed bills all the way to a December 15 due date. But it marks the second consecutive year Cook County has failed to meet its normal billing cycle, again disrupting cash flow for the schools, libraries, and park districts that depend on property tax revenue.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle confirmed the timeline on Tuesday, June 9, announcing a $300 million bridge-loan fund for local governments facing cash-flow shortfalls. "This bridge fund gives schools, libraries, parks, fire districts and other local governments a short-term tool to keep serving residents while we continue the deeper work of fixing a fragmented property tax system," Preckwinkle said.

Applications for the zero-interest loans open Monday, July 20. Suburban taxing districts that rely on property taxes for 50 percent or more of their revenue are eligible.

What caused the delay

County officials say the Tyler Technologies computer system that caused last year's crisis is now functioning more reliably. This year's holdup stems from a different problem: when the county reopened appeal windows in December 2025 to give homeowners a fair shot at challenging assessments they'd missed, it pushed back final resolution of this year's tax rolls.

At a Cook County Board hearing on Wednesday, June 10, officials could not guarantee bills would be mailed by September. As of that date, the process was roughly six weeks behind schedule. Countywide, about 77,000 outstanding property tax refunds and 2,500 bills from prior cycles still had not been mailed.

The financial toll on local agencies is significant. School districts across Cook County estimated the 2025 billing delays cost them more than $120 million in borrowing and workaround expenses. Diana McCluskey, chief school business official for Community Consolidated School District 15 in Palatine, told the board her district lost "approximately $4 million due to this unfortunate situation."

What Evanston homeowners should do now

Budget monthly. The county's Property Tax Assessment Review Office recommends the "Rule of 12s": set aside one-twelfth of your anticipated annual tax bill each month, whether in a separate bank account or another method, so the lump sum doesn't hit all at once.

Check for missing exemptions. Homeowners can still apply for missing Homeowner Exemptions covering tax years 2021 through 2025 through the Cook County Assessor's Certificate of Error process. The Homeowner Exemption saves an average of about $950 per year, according to the Assessor's Office. Applications submitted after Friday, May 15, 2026, are processed as Certificates of Error rather than standard exemption filings, but homeowners can still receive the savings. Other exemptions, including the Senior Exemption, cover fewer back years.

Watch for your bill carefully. The second-installment bill is often the first time homeowners see whether exemptions are applied correctly or whether an assessment needs to be challenged.

Residents with questions can contact Evanston's Property Tax Assessment Review Office at 847-448-8168 or visit cookcountyassessoril.gov. The Cook County Assessor's Office main line is (312) 443-7550.