Happy Friday, Chicago.

Today, the editorial board says: It’s time for Cook County to tell us when our property tax bills will arrive. (Not that any of us is particularly relishing cutting that check.)

The board also lauds the return of the hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, noting that Donald Trump deserves great credit for this momentous Middle East peace deal.

On the opinion page, a group of business leaders representing the Civic Committee and the Commercial Club of Chicago, the Civic Federation, the Better Government Association and more sounded the alarm on a union-backed pension bill that would add more than $80 billion in pension contributions over the next 30 years, calling on legislators to reject it.

Sticking with the pension topic, writer Liam Stanton argues that Chicago should give pensioners the option for a buyout.

State Sen. Lakesia Collins rounds us out with a call for a cooling of political hostility that turns deadly. She writes, “As a public servant, I believe our government can and must be a force for good. That means refusing to let violence and hate become the price we pay for political gain.” Hear, hear.

Don’t forget to check out reader letters.

— Hilary Gowins, editorial board member

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