CHICAGO—Cook County’s latest property tax hike disproportionately affected black and Latino communities, according to the first-of-its-kind analysis under Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas published Aug. 17. “Our research shows that inequities in the property tax system persist, particularly for businesses and Black and Latino property owners, and especially in the south suburbs. The 2020 property tax increases are exacerbating financial stresses in these communities and thwarting economic progress and generational wealth-building,” Pappas said in a written statement. Among the top ten municipalities ranked by homeowner property tax increases, six are majority black or Latino. For example, Bellwood with the highest rate hike—at 28.5 percent—has a black population of 74 percent; Robbins, with the third-highest rate hike of 20 percent, has a black population of over 80 percent. Across Cook County, total assessed homeowner property taxes increased by only 1.3 percent in 2020. Among the top ten municipalities ranked by commercial property tax …