Tell City Council and Mayor Johnson We Need Universities to Pay Their Fair Share

Right now, the City of Chicago, despite being one of the largest hubs of wealth in the country, is facing a severe budget deficit. This is partly due to large institutions, like Chicago’s universities, paying no property taxes to support their community. This has resulted in higher property taxes for Chicago residents and is putting vital city services at risk.

At a time when our City needs more programs to prevent violence, get folks the mental health access they deserve, and more affordable housing so residents can afford to live here, and more resources to give our schools the sustainable community schools they deserve, we can afford to let Universities continue to not pay their fair share. We need to bring these institutions to the negotiating table to create payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreements as other cities have done. 

Chicago’s most prominent private universities, including the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, Loyola University, and DePaul University, occupy hundreds of acres of land, control tens of billions in endowments, and own billions in properties currently exempt from paying property taxes to the City. The University of Chicago alone controls $20 billion in total assets, including properties and its massive investment portfolio. While every property owner must pay their share of taxes, these organizations pay nothing in property taxes and receive tens of millions in other tax breaks. 

Please fill out the form below to send Mayor Brandon Johnson and your Alderman a letter asking them to bring the universities to the negotiating table and implement a PILOT agreement to ensure our schools, communities, and families get the resources they deserve. 
 

Fill out the form to make your voice heard!