Pilsen Property Tax Protest/Cultural Celebration

Lawndale News Chicago's Bilingual Newspaper - Business

An open-air family-friendly celebration, 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, May 6 in Dvorak Park, 1119 W. Cullerton St. in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, will double as a protest of rising property taxes for Pilsen and Little Village residents. The event is sponsored by El Pueblo Manda, a new community group formed to fight property tax increases. It’s supported by six other Pilsen and Little Village community organizations and 25th Ward Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez. The event will feature music by DJ Rebel X, Grupo Alma Fuerte, Ramon Marino, Trio Tierra Roja, Maribel Garcia and Gonzalo Córdoba, along with a children’s bounce house, face painting and other family-friendly activities. The latest Cook County property tax bills for Pilsen and Little Village have seen sharp jumps—up an average of 63 percent for Pilsen, according to the Cook County Board of Review, and taxes have doubled for many residents. Alderman Sigcho-Lopez supports a moratorium on fees and fines associated with late payments. “We will fight to avoid homeowners losing their homes in the scavenger sale thanks to an unfair strike of a pen,” he said. El Pueblo Manda goes further than the moratorium, calling for a way to adjust tax levels based on homeowners’ incomes–the less you earn, the less you pay. In addition to the alderman’s office, groups endorsing the Dvorak Park event include Pilsen Alliance; the Justice in Ayotzinapa Committee; Chicago Liberation Center; My Villita Neighbors/Vecinos de Mi Villita; People’s Response Network; and MHAHE (Mientras Haya Amor Hay Esperanza).

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