City's top lawyer got same residency tax break on two homes -- in Chicago and Naperville -- for years

By Tom Schuba and Fran Spielman


The top attorney for the city of Chicago has for several years received homestead tax exemptions by claiming both a west suburban home and a condominium on the Near South Side as his primary residence in an apparent violation of a state law that prevents homeowners from earning those tax breaks on multiple properties.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot initially told reporters Monday she believed City Corporation Counsel Mark Flessner never received multiple homestead exemptions. Government records, in fact, show he received thousands of dollars in tax breaks in 2016, 2017 and 2018 for both a single-family house in Naperville and the Chicago condo.

Later on Monday, the mayor’s office reversed course, acknowledging Flessner had “mistakenly claimed a homestead exemption for both his Chicago and Naperville properties.”

“Now that this mistake has been brought to his attention, he will be paying back . . . the amount he received from the additional exemption,” said Anel Ruiz, a spokeswoman for the mayor, adding that Flessner owes roughly $2,500 dating back to 2015.

Read more: https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/12/16/21024741/mark-flessner-lori-lightfoot-naperville-law-department-bill-mccaffrey-residency-rule-homes-counsel