County says property tax bills will be delayed again. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle says second installment property tax bills will be delayed by about two months this year, continuing the fiasco of delayed bills in recent years that have left local governments in a pinch. In an attempt to assist public agencies that need the money on time, county officials said Tuesday that Preckwinkle would reopen the county's Property Tax Bridge Fund program, a $300 million no-interest loan program for taxing districts that rely on timely tax payments, but the City of Evanston won't qualify for a loan under new eligibility requirements this year. The delays have plagued public agencies and school districts statewide, including in Evanston, where District 65 officials said last year's delay cost the district $1.14 million "in real, avoidable taxpayer impact." Evanston Township High School was forced to borrow $25 million last year to help pay bills, blaming county officials for "cataclysmic incompetence" and an erosion of trust during the debacle. And city officials said they were out about $25 million as well to start 2026 because of the payment delays, which county officials blamed on Tyler Technologies, the contracted company managing the payments using outdated computer systems. Preckwinkle, in a statement, said the county was "committed to open communications with taxing bodies" this year and tried to soften concern about the continued impacts of the property tax snafu. "The long-term answer is a property tax system with clearer responsibility, fewer handoffs and greater accountability," Preckwinkle said in a statement. The city and school districts received assistance from the fund in 2025, but eligibility requirements announced Tuesday lock Evanston out of receiving assistance this year. The county says that local jurisdictions must be reliant on property taxes for 50% or more of total government revenue to be eligible, with additional consideration for disinvested communities that do not meet that requirement. Evanston receives less than 20% of its total revenues from property taxes, according to the city's 2026 budget and a city spokesperson confirmed to Evanston Now on Wednesday that "The city does not qualify" for the program this year.