Tax Increment Financing (TIF) in Chicago

When Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot took office, she created a very strategic plan to improve the city’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) tool. Her overall goal was to take a process that had been used incorrectly for city improvements and ensure that it was being used for community improvement

Urban Civil Unrest Causes Economic Strain and Uncertainty

Over the past six months, the United States has experienced a vast array of tragedies leaving many property and business owners’ lives in disarray.

COVID-19

Property Tax Assessment and Valuation in the Post-COVID-19 Era

Siegel & Callahan is featured in the recent National Real Estate Investor 2020 Midyear Outlook.

Changes in Cook County Valuation Practice for Vacant Property

The Cook County Assessor’s Office (CCAO) recently clarified its policy on granting assessment reductions due to vacancy.

economic impact

Nashville — America's "It" City in Crisis

With no municipal reserve of funds, and revenue from sales tax all but extinguished by the recent pandemic, Nashville’s mayor, John Cooper has recently resorted to a property tax increase.

COVID-19

Houston: Budget Concerns in the COVID-19 Era

The current state of emergency triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic has affected business and property owners in various ways. Government officials on all levels are pondering the next steps to help residences in their respective localities.

case study

Case Study: Morkes Chocolates

Imagine growing up in a chocolate dynasty. The stuff of every kid’s dreams. Rhonda Dehn is the third-generation owner of Morkes Chocolates in Palatine and Huntley, Illinois.

Why you don't want a tax refund

When a refund is issued, everyone has lost something — and a refund check is evidence that you’ve overpaid in the first place.