The Cook County Board of Commissioners recently approved a resolution establishing the eligibility criteria for the Cook County Homeowner Relief Fund, which is a $15 million program to assist homeowners who have experienced a substantial increase on their property tax bills in recent years.

This program will provide immediate relief to residents as Cook County continues to pursue long-term property tax reform efforts at the state and local levels. These broader efforts are being led by the Property Tax Reform Group (PTAX), which includes the separately elected offices that make up the property tax system, as the County works to identify and advance system-wide reforms.

Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School honored five sisters who took what they learned during their four years at the school and launched successful careers in a variety of fields. During the school’s Celebration Gala on Feb. 1, the Gainer sisters were presented with the Catherine McAuley Leadership Award. Bridget Gainer ’86, Nora Gainer ’88, Maureen Gainer Reilly ’93, Mary Gainer MD ’96 and Sheila Gainer ’99 grew up in Beverly and attended St. Barnabas Elementary School before enrolling at Mother McAuley.

Just ahead of a new year’s deadline before a statewide law takes effect, the Cook County Board on Thursday unanimously approved a new paid leave mandate that applies to all suburban municipalities.

The changes replicate and slightly expand on the Jan. 1 state law, which will require most employers to provide up to 40 hours of paid leave per year. Statewide, time off will be accrued one hour at a time for every 40 hours worked, or employers could front-load that time off. Those standards would be enshrined at Cook County businesses starting in 2024 whether or not the County Board took any action.