Chicago’s 50th Ward Newsletter

September 25, 2026

Dear Neighbor,

Property Tax Bills Due October 1

Payment is due soon for second installment property tax bills. Bills have been mailed to homes across Cook County, and are also available online at www.cookcountytreasurer.com. To find your bill, click on the purple box labeled “Your Property Tax Overview” then enter your PIN or address. Bills are due on Thursday, October 1.

Please check your bill and make sure all relevant exemptions are listed. They should be on the bottom left of your bill under the “Tax Calculator” section. The key exemptions listed on your tax bill are:

• Homeowner Exemption - Most homeowners are eligible for this exemption if they own and occupy the property as their principal place of residence.

  
  

• Senior Citizen Exemption - Most senior homeowners are eligible for this exemption if they are 65 years of age or older and own and occupy their property as their principal place of residence.

• Senior Freeze Exemption - Must meet the requirements for the Senior Exemption and have a total household annual income of $65,000 or less in the calendar year 2024.

If you are missing an exemption you are entitled to, call the 50th Ward Office for help.

Property owners can pay their bills online from bank accounts for no added fee. Credit card payments will include a processing fee. You can also print your bill and bring it to any Chase Bank branch, a community bank where you have an account, or to the Treasurer’s office at 118 N. Clark Street to pay.

50th Ward Job Fair

The annual 50th Ward Job Fair was a tremendous success this week. We were joined by hundreds of job seekers to meet dozens of employers from a broad range of fields.

Thank you to all of the employers who participated, as well as all of the 50th Ward residents who came to the fair. I hope that this event was successful for everyone who attended, and I will continue to do whatever I can to chip away at the unemployment rate in our city and neighborhood.

The job fair was a partnership between my office, State Senator Ram Villivalam, State Representative Kevin Olickal, the Illinois Department of Employment Security, Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, Illinois workNet, Equus Workforce Solutions, Business and Career Services Inc, and Chicago Public Library.

If you were unable to make it, I encourage you to visit the IDES website at ides.illinois.gov for employment resources and information about future hiring events.

50th Ward Diaper Donation Drive

I partnered with Share Our Spare to hold a diaper donation drive at my office, in commemoration of National Diaper Need Awareness Week. Thank you to everyone who contributed so generously!

Nearly 1 in 2 families with young children in America do not have enough diapers to keep their infants or children clean, dry, and healthy. Share Our Spare is on track to distribute more than 2 million diapers this year to help end diaper need in Chicago. Learn more about them at shareourspare.org.

Workforce Solutions Grant

A grant opportunity is now available to help eligible businesses strengthen their workforce. Workforce Solutions is a reimbursement grant that helps businesses invest in their workforce by funding training for current employees and on-the-job training for new hires. Eligible businesses may receive up to 100% of qualified training costs, up to $250,000.

Current funding opportunities:

• Businesses located in eligible, funded TIF districts (including the local Touhy/Western TIF and the Lincoln Avenue TIF): Applications accepted year-round on a first-come, first-served basis, while funding remains available.

  
  

• Businesses located outside funded TIF areas: The next application cycle opens October 1 for 30 days. Applications are reviewed through a competitive process.

The Workforce Solutions Program offers informational webinars on the first Tuesday of each month to help businesses and community partners better understand program eligibility, applications, and funding. The next webinar will be on Tuesday, October 6 at 10 AM. Register here.

Learn more, check eligibility, or  apply online by visiting Chicago.gov/WorkforceSolutions.

General Election Update

A General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 3. Voter registration for the election is currently open, Early Voting begins soon, and Vote By Mail applications are now being accepted.

You can register to vote online, in person on Election Day, at an early voting site, or by mail. Click here for more information about registering to vote.

Early Voting officially starts on Thursday, October 1 downtown at the Board of Elections offices (69 W. Washington Street, 6th Floor) and the voting supersite at 137 South State Street. On October 19, Early Voting will expand to all 50 Wards, including at the Northtown Library, 6800 N. Western Ave. Click here for complete Early Voting hours and details. 

Vote By Mail applications are now available online here. The Board of Elections will mail you a ballot, and you will be able to return your ballot by mail or using one of the secure drop boxes that will be in place at every early voting site. 

PLEASE NOTE: You will not automatically receive a new vote by mail ballot unless you are already on the permanent vote by mail roster. If you want to vote by mail and are not on the permanent roster, you must apply again now. To join the Vote By Mail Permanent Roster, click here.

For more information about the upcoming election visit chicagoelections.gov.

Chag Sameach - Happy Sukkot!

The Jewish holiday of Sukkot begins tonight. I would like to wish the 50th Ward’s Jewish community a happy (and hopefully dry!) Sukkot. Chag sameach to everyone!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Sincerely,

Debra L. Silverstein

Alderman, 50th Ward