For countless older Cook County residents, the math of staying in the house they raised their families in has become brutally simple: rising property taxes or moving out. A new proposal from a 13th District commissioner candidate aims to change that equation entirely.
Earned Tax Freedom: Eligible seniors who hit the 35-year residency milestone in a single-family home will receive a 100% future exemption from property taxes.
How many unspoken tears can a single smile carry before it breaks?”— AASI TAHIR SIDDIQUECHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, October 15, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Aasi Siddique, who is running for Cook County Commissioner in the 13th District, unveiled a plan on Wednesday that would grant a complete property tax exemption to senior citizens who have continuously lived in and paid real estate taxes on the same single-family home for 35 years or more.
The backdrop to this proposal is a county where property tax bills keep climbing, putting fixed-income seniors at growing risk of being pushed out of the neighborhoods they helped shape. Siddique’s campaign frames the measure as recognizing that three and a half decades of tax payments amount to a civic debt already paid in full.
"Our seniors have spent nearly four decades investing in our schools, our infrastructure, and our local economies," said Siddique. "They have entirely fulfilled their long-standing financial obligations to our community. It is a moral and economic necessity that Cook County provides them with the permanent tax relief and housing security they have rightfully earned."
Here is what the proposal would do:
Earned Tax Freedom: Seniors who reach the 35-year ownership milestone in a single-family home would owe no future Cook County property taxes.
Combating Senior Displacement: The exemption is designed to stop elderly residents from being forced out of their homes as property valuations climb beyond what they can afford.
Neighborhood Stability: Allowing longtime residents to age in place would help preserve generational wealth and keep communities intact.
The tax measure is part of a wider campaign platform from Siddique, whose background spans finance, risk management, and military service. The candidate has framed the initiative as one piece of a larger push for fiscal accountability, resilient infrastructure, and transparent county government that answers to taxpayers.
For more details on the proposal or to get involved with the campaign, visit citizensforaasisiddique.com.
About Citizens for Aasi Siddique
Citizens for Aasi Siddique serves as the official campaign organization behind Siddique’s bid for Cook County Commissioner in the 13th District. The campaign’s priorities include structural fiscal reform, infrastructure upgrades, and modernizing county services for working families.
Aasi Siddique
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Why it matters: If enacted, this exemption could set a precedent for how counties reward long-term homeowners facing affordability pressures. For thousands of Cook County seniors on fixed incomes, the difference between staying in their homes and being priced out could hinge on whether proposals like this gain political traction.
