New Trier Township's median property tax bill jumped 27.8% in 2025. State Sen. Craig Wilcox is co-sponsoring three bills aimed at easing that burden for North Shore homeowners.

Wilcox, who represents the 32nd Senate District, announced his support for the measures in a Capitol Report published Monday, Sept. 21. The bills would double the state's residential property tax credit, tie the General Homestead Exemption to inflation and index the Senior Freeze income limit to rising costs.

The proposals land as North Shore tax bills keep climbing. The 27.8% spike in unincorporated New Trier Township amounted to more than $7,800 per median bill, according to a report from Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas' office first reported by the Chicago Sun-Times. Cook County's total property taxes billed have risen for 32 consecutive years through 2025.

Here is what each bill would do:

Senate Bill 3868 would double the state income tax credit for property taxes paid on a principal residence from 5% to 10%. The credit currently applies to taxpayers with adjusted gross income under $500,000 for joint filers or $250,000 for others, according to the Illinois Department of Revenue. Sen. John F. Curran is the lead sponsor.

Senate Bill 3849 would tie the General Homestead Exemption to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) starting in tax year 2027. The exemption currently reduces assessed value by up to $10,000 in Cook County under state law. That cap covers Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Glencoe and Northfield. Without the bill, the cap stays flat regardless of inflation. Curran is also the lead sponsor, with Wilcox and eight other senators listed as co-sponsors.

Senate Bill 4029 would index the income eligibility limit for the Low-Income Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze to inflation. The freeze already received a boost under existing state law: the income cap rose from $65,000 in 2025 to $75,000 in 2026, with scheduled increases to $77,000 in 2027 and $79,000 in 2028. SB 4029, led by Sen. Sue Rezin, would go further by pegging future limits to the CPI rather than fixed dollar amounts.

None of the three bills has advanced. All three were re-referred to the Senate Assignments Committee on May 22 and remain there with no hearing scheduled.

"The affordability challenges surrounding homeownership do not stop once someone receives the keys," Wilcox wrote in his Sept. 21 Capitol Report. "Property taxes, insurance, utilities, and other household expenses can continue putting pressure on family budgets long after a home is purchased."

Illinois is tied with New Jersey for the highest effective property tax rate in the nation at 1.88%, according to Tax Foundation data cited by TurboTax. North suburban homes reassessed in the 2025 cycle saw the largest spike countywide, nearly 10%, totaling about $360 million in increased bills.