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AT HOME ON THE GREATER WEST SIDE A GCM GUIDE TO HOMEOWNERSHIP
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Property tax hike got you down? A A i b d
Vol. 38 No. 37
September 11, 2024 ■ Also serving Garfield Park ■ austinweeklynews.com
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By DELANEY NELSON Special Projects Reporter
ustin, West Garfield Park and North Lawndale residential property values were reassessed earlier this year, meaning some homeowners will
Economists classify property taxes as regressive because lower-income households pay a higher share of their income toward the tax compared with wealthier counterparts. In Illinois, the property tax system is based on assessed home value, meaning the 1.3 million homeowners who will pay more next year won’t all see the same
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People’s Convention draws crowds to celebrate Black culture Aug. 31 event also promoted civic engagement in Austin and beyond By MICHAEL BANIEWICZ Contributing Reporter
West Side residents gathered in large numbers Aug. 31 to celebrate artistic talent and global Black cultures at The People’s Convention: The African Fest Out West. The event was hosted by the Kehrein Center for the Arts (KCA), 5628 W. Washington Blvd., in collaboration with The Black Panther’s Annual People’s Convention. More than 150 people attended. Reesheda Graham-Washington, executive director of the Kehrein Center, said the partnership supports tenets shared by both organizations, including inspiring civic engagement. It is also a way, she said, to tie together other opportunities for community engagement for residents of Austin. One example of this would be U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis’s Back to School picnic and parade, which was scheduled for the same day. See PEOPLE’S CONVENTION on page 4
TODD BANNOR
Johncuanay Johnson of Build Inc. with Divvy electric bikes at Build’s Ride for Peace on Sept. 7.
EASY RIDERS SEE MORE PHOTOS ONLINE BY TODD BANNOR