Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi announced he will speak at a series of town hall-style meetings next month to discuss property tax reform and a proposal in Springfield that will bring more fairness to the property tax system. Hosted by elected officials and community groups at the state, county, and local levels, the meetings will offer an update on reforms in the Assessor’s Office and a look at what’s to come on issues like vacancy, data modernization and legislative property tax reform measures. The ability to collect data at the beginning of the assessment process will bring Cook County and other counties in Illinois, who choose to opt-in to this practice, in-line with professional practices used by assessors in at least 17 other states. It will also help eliminate uncertainty and hidden costs in the current assessment system, which often deters institutional investment and weakens local economies. The first town hall will be held on Tuesday, October 1st from 6p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at South Suburban College located at 15800 South State Street in South Holland. Senator Toi Hutchinson, Representatives Will Davis and Debbie Meyers-Martin and Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller will co-host the event.