The Cook County Treasurer's Office yesterday posted the long-awaited property tax bills for city homeowners.

• And it wasn't pretty.

Why it matters: After a three-month delay and ugly politics, many local homeowners will pay more taxes — and, in some cases, way more.

By the numbers: We analyzed bills in selected neighborhoods, including:

• West Loop: Justin's property tax went up 22% year over year.
• Rogers Park: One homeowner tells Axios their taxes went up 32%.
• Lakeview: Monica's property tax jumped 71% (!!).

You can check yours here.

Context: Newly re-elected Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi ran on shifting the tax burden to downtown commercial business owners after years of sweet deals and discounts handed down by predecessor Joseph Berrios.

• This bill, the second installment of the 2021 property taxes, is the first for Chicago homeowners using Kaegi's new formula.
• Tax bills were reportedly delayed by a software problem, but some Republicans are arguing the election was the real reason for the delay.

Reality check: Kaegi reassessed Chicago properties last year, but told Axios the increases would not necessarily be reflected in the final tax bill.

The intrigue: On Monday, Kaegi put out a scathing report blaming the Cook County Board of Review for changing his tax assessments, flipping the burden to homeowners instead of downtown businesses.

• The Board of Review has the power to adjust assessments.

What they're saying: "Because the final assessed values set by the Board of Review increased the share of assessed value for homeowners (due, in part, to reductions of large commercial properties downtown), tax bills for many homeowners appear likely to increase or stay flat," Kaegi wrote in the report.

💭 Justin's thought bubble: Holding the bill because of an election seemed an absurd claim.

• But looking at these astronomical increases, it's hard not to believe that politics weaved its way into this process … again.

What's next: Tax bills are due by year-end.

The Chicago Reader cut ties with freelance writer John Greenfield last week after he published a story exploring online allegations of a toxic workplace at The Hideout.

• Based on accounts of anonymous sources, Greenfield's self-published story on Medium criticized some current and former Reader writers for their coverage and online comments on the issue.

Why it matters: The events raise questions about how and when journalists can question allegations — especially about race — against Chicago institutions, and what they can say publicly about their co-workers.

What they're saying: "I wasn't expecting the backlash to be quite so harsh, including what seemed like just about every journalist and transportation advocate under 40 turning against me," Greenfield told Axios.

• He finds the Reader banishment "disappointing, considering I've spent close to half of my life writing for the paper."

The other side: Reader publisher Tracy Baim tells Axios she believes that allegations about The Hideout should be explored but that her reasons for cutting ties with Greenfield go beyond the recent story.

• "My role is to listen to my team and support them, and they didn't feel comfortable having Greenfield continue as a freelancer," she says. "This discussion has been ongoing for the past year."

Backstory: The Hideout booker and local hip-hop artist Mykele Deville, who is Black, was fired in March and posted accusations about The Hideout in October.

• The Hideout's owners responded with a promise to do better and hire a diversity, equity and inclusion consultant, but tell Axios they are legally restricted from commenting on former employees.
• Multiple artists booked to play there canceled shows, forcing The Hideout to close their doors for the foreseeable future.

What's next: Neither Deville nor The Hideout's owners are commenting beyond their online statements, but Greenfield says he hopes his story will inspire "more coverage of The Hideout by other journalists with attributed quotes that will confirm that my reporting on this issue was accurate."

Full disclosure: Monica and Justin are longtime Hideout patrons, and we've held Axios Office Hours events there.

🗳 State Rep. Tony McCombie will replace state Rep. Jim Durkin as the new House Republican leader. She is the first woman to lead a party's caucus in the Illinois House. (NBC Chicago)

✅ According to unofficial results from the Associated Press, the workers' rights amendment has passed in Illinois. (Tribune)

🎶 Buddy Guy, J. Ivy and Justin Roberts are just a few of the Chicago artists nominated for Grammys. (Tribune)

👋 Hey, it's Monica. Last weekend I saw Rossini's comedy "Le Comte Ory" at Lyric Opera.

The plot: The virtuous Countess Adéle and her female courtiers lock themselves in a castle while the men fight in the Crusades. Count Ory disguises himself to break into the castle and seduce the countess.

The intrigue: The diverse cast features dashing bel canto tenor Lawrence Brownlee in the lead role and soprano Kathryn Lewek as the secretly lusty countess, while Kayleigh Decker plays the cross-dressing page Isolier.

Spoiler alert: The three of them finish the show together in bed.

The bottom line: If my high school music class had seen "Le Comte Ory" instead of "La Boheme" during our field trip to the Lyric, it would have produced more young opera lovers.

If you go: Tickets start at $40 through Nov. 26.

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This one was a little harder than most, but plenty of you guessed correctly: Justin was at Haunted Trails in Burbank!

• The miniature amusement park opened in 1975 and shoves everything from mini-golf to a roller coaster onto a little plot of land right off Harlem Avenue.
• It offers a nostalgic trip for those who loved places like Kiddieland and still love the Enchanted Castle in Lombard.

👏 Congrats to Ann Marie M. & Kevin M. We picked your names out of an old bumper car.

• Pick up some Axios swag at our next Axios Office Hours!