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Cook County Assessor James M. Houlihan has earned a reputation for his success in bringing fairness, uniformity and openness to the assessment process and for his innovative plans for property tax reform.
Since taking office in 1997, the Assessor has focused on developing an accurate and fair office while providing additional clarity to the assessment process.
In addition, the Assessor has worked tirelessly for both short-term and long-term property tax reform solutions. He was responsible for the development and proposal of 7% Expanded Homeowner Exemption, which provided immediate property tax relief to homeowners in Cook County. This provision saved homeowners money by further expanding the current homeowner exemption and by eliminating, for the purposes of calculating the tax bill, a portion of a home’s increase in taxable value.
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Other notable recent initiatives include:
- Streamlining the Homeowner and Senior Citizen Exemption application process so that homeowners no longer need to reapply each year;
- The expansion of Internet coverage to include pictures of nearly every Cook County property, an interactive assessment search function, the ability to download all the Assessor's Office forms and applications and on-line appeal filing capability;
- The extension of the Class 9 Property Tax Incentive to encourage the construction of new, affordable multifamily rental housing;
- The proposal of a Property Tax Circuit Breaker to provide immediate relief to tax-afflicted homeowners caught in the economic downtown;
- The creation of a historic initiative to measure the impact of foreclosures on neighborhood property values. The Assessor’s interest in and understanding of property tax issues stem from his accomplished record in public service.
- Three terms in the state legislature;
- Aide to Chicago Mayor Harold Washington;
- Tax Reformer with the Fair Equity Tax Commission.
Houlihan represented Chicago's north lakefront (Lincoln Park/Lakeview) in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1972-1978. He was appointed co-chairman of the House Governmental Organization Committee and served as vice-chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
A life-long resident of Cook County, Houlihan is a graduate of St. Mary of the Lake Seminary (Mundelein, IL) with a B.A. in Philosophy (1965) and an S.T.B. in Theology (1967). He currently resides on Chicago's north side with his wife Anne Tighe. They have two sons, Mike and Dan.
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