Cook County Treasurer’s Office
The Cook County Treasurer’s Office is an official government entity serving more than 1.8 million property owners across Cook County, Illinois. Led by Treasurer Maria Pappas, the office promotes transparency, accountability, and public service — providing taxpayers with direct access to property tax data, refunds, payment options, and community resources through Cook
CountyTreasurer.com and verified social media channels. Duties and Responsibilities of the Cook County Treasurer
In Cook County, the Treasurer oversees the second-largest property tax collection and distribution system in the United States. Treasurer Maria Pappas is responsible for:
-Printing and mailing tax bills based on data from county and state agencies on assessments, exemptions, and tax rates.
-Collecting more than $16.1 billion annually in taxes from owners of over 1.8 million parcels of property.
-Distributing collected funds to approximately 2,200 local government agencies, including school districts, cities, villages, townships, libraries, parks, public health agencies, and other entities.
-Maintaining an investment policy and strategy that ensures:
*Compliance with federal, state, and local laws.
*Safety of principal to avoid any risk of public fund loss.
*Diversification to manage risk effectively.
*Liquidity to meet all obligations on time.
*Returns that balance performance with safety and liquidity. Under Illinois law, the Treasurer must securely receive and safeguard public revenues, disburse funds as authorized by law, and file regular financial reports with the President of the Cook County Board. The Treasurer’s Office also maintains special funds to cover authorized operating expenses, travel for official training, and other approved purposes. Monthly accounting of these funds is made through the County Clerk. Additional Legal Duties
-The Treasurer is further required to:
-Prepare delinquent tax lists and notify taxpayers of record.
-Obtain tax-sale judgments and conduct annual tax lien sales.
-Oversee the refund of overpaid property taxes under Illinois law. Refunds may apply to:
-Duplicate payments.
-Overpayments of the amount due.
-Reductions in assessments or tax rates authorized by courts or tax-assessment agencies. Summary:
The Cook County Treasurer’s Office works to ensure efficiency, fairness, and transparency in property tax collection and distribution. Under the leadership of Treasurer Maria Pappas, the office combines financial accountability with accessible public service for all Cook County residents. Official government page of the Cook County Treasurer’s Office — serving the residents of Cook County with transparency, fairness, and innovation.