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Cook County Sends $2.3 Billion in Emergency Property-Tax Funds After System Failure

The partial payout follows months of distribution breakdowns tied to a long-running technology upgrade.

Overview

  • More than 500 taxing bodies received ACH transfers totaling about $2.3 billion after a four-month halt in distributions.
  • The payments cover roughly 20% of what districts are owed, with a reconciliation planned once the new software is validated.
  • Officials say about $8 billion in collected taxes still needs to be correctly apportioned under the Tyler Technologies system.
  • Chicago Public Schools reported $1.6 billion in short-term borrowing and a $246 million pension loan, incurring interest costs of about $220,000 per day during the delay.
  • Responsibility for the breakdown is disputed, with Pappas blaming Tyler Technologies and county tech staff, Preckwinkle’s office faulting the treasurer, and officials citing an incorrect test file; bills and refunds also went out late and key tracker and refund fixes remain.