Important COVID-19 Community Updates
The earliest that Lake Forest may be able to move into Phase 4 of the Governor's "Restore Illinois" plan is on Friday, June 26.

Phase 4, titled "Revitalization", allows for gatherings of 50 people or fewer, restaurants and bars to re-open, travel to resume, and child care and schools to re-open under guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health. Face coverings and social distancing will still be required. Read the details here .

The Municipal Services Building and City Hall are open with limited staffing and safety protocols in place. Other City staff will continue to work remotely. Until further notice, the City encourages residents to continue using online City services as often as possible.

This E-Newsletter will continue to be issued every Monday, Wednesday and Friday or as necessary.

Please dial 9-1-1 in case of emergencies only, and 847.234.2601 for non-emergencies.

The City's general phone line, 847.234.2600, has been restored for all other City services.

Check the City's website for additional information and continue to send any inquiries to cityhall@cityoflakeforest.com .

Photo courtesy of Rommy Lopat
Tonight's Virtual City Council Meeting
The next City Council meeting will be held via Zoom this evening at 6:30 p.m., and will be live-streamed on the City's website, on cable television (Comcast channel 17 and A, T & T U-Verse Channel 99 - scroll to "Lake Forest"). Alternately, you may follow this Zoom link .

View the meeting agenda here . You may provide public comment by calling 847.810.3643 during the meeting.
Senior Freeze Homestead Exemption
Lake County residents who in 2019 applied for and received the Senior Citizen Freeze  Homestead Exemption, the Homestead Exemption for Persons with Disabilities, and the Standard Homestead Exemption for Veterans With Disabilities will not be required to re-apply for those exemptions in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Normally, residents who qualify for those exemptions need to reapply annually. However,  on June 5, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law legislation that grants counties the option of approving renewals  without application  for the 2020 tax year.  Because the Lake County Board has declared a local disaster related to the COVID-19 public health emergency, Lake County Chief Assessment Officer Robert Glueckert announced that he will exercise that option and automatically approve the three exemptions without application for the 2020 tax year only provided the following conditions are met: 

  • The owner of record of the property as of January 1, 2020 is the same as the owner of record of the property as of January 1, 2019; 
  • The exemption for the 2019 taxable year has not been determined to be an erroneous exemption; and 
  • The applicant for the 2019 taxable year has not asked for the exemption to be removed for the 2019 or 2020 taxable years. 

The Chief County Assessment Office retains the authority to conduct audits of any taxpayer claiming an exemption to verify that the taxpayer is eligible to receive the exemption.  

In 2019,  10,555 Lake County properties received the Senior Freeze Homestead Exemption, 2,322  received the Homestead Exemption for Persons with Disabilities, and 2,621 received the Standard Homestead Exemption for Veterans With Disabilities. 

Lake County property owners who did not apply for and/or were not found eligible for the exemptions listed above in 2019 but believe they are eligible to receive them f or the 2020 tax year may still apply. The application deadline has been extended to Oct. 1, 2020. 

To qualify for the   Senior Citizen Freeze Homestead Exemption , homeowners must: 
  • Be 65 years of age or older 
  • Have owned and occupied the home as their principal residence on Jan. 1 of the past two years 
  • Have a total household income of $65,000 or less 
  • Submit an application online through the Smartfile E-Filing Portal 

To qualify for the   Homestead Exemption for Persons with Disabilities ,  applicants must: 
  • Own or have a legal or equitable interest in the property. 
  • Have lived on the property on or before January 1st of the tax year. 
  • Be disabled under the Federal Social Security Act and supply required documentation. 
  • Submit an application online through the Smartfile E-Filing Portal. 

To qualify for the   Standard Homestead Exemption for Veterans With Disabilities ,  homeowners must: 
  • Be a Lake County, Illinois resident and have served in the United States Armed Forces, The Illinois National Guard, or U.S. Reserve Forces, and have received an honorable discharge. 
  • Have a total equalized assessed value (EAV) of less than $250,000. 
  • Have owned and occupied the property as the primary residence on or before January 1st of the tax year. 
  • Supply required documentation. 
  • Submit an application online through the Smartfile E-Filing Portal. 

For more information, or for assistance in applying for the first time, contact the Chief County Assessment Office at  847.377.2050.
Good to Know
Don't Forget...
It's as Easy as
It's Important


Please respond online at my2020census.gov or by phone at 844.330.2020.

In the coming months, when it is safe to do so, Census takers will follow up with in-person visits to addresses for which responses have not been received.

Completing the Census questionnaire is easy, secure and important. Thank you for helping Lake Forest and Illinois achieve a Complete Count!
Lake County Interactive Map
The Lake County Health Department's interactive map shares the number of residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 in each municipality. According to the LCHD website, it is best viewed on a computer. You can view the map   here .
Local Resources
State/Federal Resources
The City of Lake Forest, Illinois | Website