The Cook County Treasurer's Office reminded taxpayers that they may use several area LaSalle Bank sites to submit payments and that the office will be introducing a system for accepting payments without bills over the Internet in the next week. These alternatives have added importance given that the collection offices in the Maywood and Skokie courthouses will remain closed during the upcoming collection cycle.

Cook County tax bills and brochures for the first-installment 2001 tax bills due on March 1, 2002, began reaching homes and businesses Saturday and include information on the exclusive new Internet service at www.cookcountytreasurer.com and the LaSalle payment sites.

Taxpayers should note that due to ongoing construction work at the Skokie location, the Treasurer's Office will remain closed through the upcoming collection cycle. Taxpayers may use any of the four LaSalle sites in Skokie or any of more than a dozen other LaSalle sites in the Near North and Near Northwest suburbs. Locations are listed in tax-bill brochures and include LaSalle Banks on the North Side and North Shore, with two in Des Plaines, two in Mount Prospect, three in Park Ridge, one in Evanston, one in Glencoe, one in Glenview, one in Highland Park, two in Morton Grove, two in Niles, one in Northbrook, and four in Skokie.

Also, technical difficulties will keep the office in the Maywood courthouse closed through this collection cycle. Taxpayers in the Near West Suburbs may use LaSalle sites including the one in Berwyn, one in Cicero, two in Franklin Park, one in Melrose Park, one in Norridge, one in Oak Park, one in River Forest, one in Riverside, two in Westmont and two in Elmhurst.