Linda Moore Gives Take on Last Township Meeting, Announces Assessment Appeal Workshop

Grafton Township Supervisor has been sending emails to constituents.  Since they contain information I haven’t seen elsewhere, you can read the latest below:

Linda Moore

Dear Residents of Grafton Township,

With the fall season now well underway, I am sure that each of you is well aware that this is an election season.

This fall also brings upon it the completion of the current term of office for your township officials.

All township officials are up for re-election every four years.

Early voting starts next Monday.. Here are some important dates to mark on your calendar:

  • October 22 – Early Voting starts
  • November 19 – 26 Petition filing period for Republican Primary Election
  • December 17 – 24 Petition filing period for new political parties, nonpartisan and independent candidates
  • February 26 Republican Primary Election
  • April 9 General Election

Packets for township candidates are available at the township office or click here to print your own Candidates Guide.
TAXES!! Your number one concern.

Are you paying more than your fair share of property taxes?

If your assessment is not accurate, you might be. Grafton Township Assessor Ottley, as of October 15th has not submitted his assessment books to the county. Once the county assessor receives them, he reviews the books. This will require about two to three weeks.

When finished he will publish a notice in the Huntley Farmside newspaper, sold at Wisted’s Grocery in Huntley. You will also receive a letter notifying you of your new assessed property value. You then have 30 days to file an appeal if you do not agree with Assessor Ottley’s value.

On October 22, 6pm, we will hold a Property Assessment Class at the American Community Bank. There will be a question and answer session after a short presentation. Please call 1-847-669-3328 to register.

BOARD MEETING REPORT

We met last week and here are some of the meeting results.

Monthly Expenses:

The trustees attorneys, Ancel-Glink, bill was approved, 3 to 1, for $8,142. The trustees decided not to pay the bills for 11 vendors. While they had questions about the financial statements, none were interested in submitting their questions in writing for a complete answer. The township credit cards remain unpaid awaiting board approval.

The board also removed several agenda items, 3 to 1 vote. These items that were not considered included

  • revising the budget to eliminate the deficit balance,
  • paying off the road district loan, and
  • housing the township food pantry in the township office.

It is important that we show fiscal responsibility by paying our bills, reducing debt, and balancing the budget. We also need to take care of the indigent.

However, as Supervisor, I must depend on the board’s cooperation to accomplish these goals.

Road District:

Our Road District has a loan of $270,000 with Harris Bank which remains unpaid despite a checking account balance of about $516,000 and a money market balance of $500,600. Without Highway Commissioner Jack Freund’s approval this loan will continue to incur interest and fee expenses.

The best news that I have is that the board unanimously decided to reduce the township official’s salaries in some cases up to 30%.

This action clearly benefits the taxpayers and the board is to commended!!

Please refer to the Board Packet tab on the www.graftontownshipsupervisor.us website for the details.

Sincerely,

Linda Moore, Grafton Township Supervisor


Comments

Linda Moore Gives Take on Last Township Meeting, Announces Assessment Appeal Workshop — 13 Comments

  1. Seems that Ms. Moore left off a couple of important items in her summary of the meeting.

    1. $30,000 was missing from the budget. When asked about it, Ms. Moore stated “I’ll have to look into that.” Balancing a budget that isn’t correct is a waste of time.

    2. Between the months of February and August, Ms. Moore purchased 1400 stamps. That’s $630 in postage for 7 months.

    3. Ms. Moore has apparently paid some of Mr. Ottley’s bills out of the General Assistance fund… money reserved for the care of the “indigent” (as Ms. Moore calls them).

  2. Linda once again pumps it into everyone she is suppose to work with.
    Mr. Ottley, the trustees, Mr. Freund.
    Yes, now that she is primping to be re-elected, Linda is all about the taxpayer.
    WFT does the new Rostenkowski need with 1400 stamps?
    Is she using them for her emails?

    Cal, you’re a tool in Linda’s re-branding.

  3. You people are arguing about $630 worth of postage stamps over 9 months—OMG you people are simple.

  4. $630 is a symptom of the problem.

    At this same meeting, Linda attempted to increase the postage portion of the budget, because she was already over budget, and didn’t have enough stamps to pay the bills.

    If she can’t live within her means on something as simple as postage, why should we trust her to be responsible with hundreds of thousands of dollars?

  5. You won’t be appealing Mr. Ottleys value, you will be appealing the multiplier that the County Assessor Bob Ross hikes us up like they did last year!

    As for the Assessment seminar – why don’t you stop trying to do other peoples jobs, when you can’t even do your own?

    Let the Assessor worry about assessments.

    You worry about where our $30,000 has gone.

    And why would you force the trustees to put their questions in writing?
    You are just making a joke of yourself and your office.

  6. If there is a deficit balance in the budget then why would the board approve to pay off a $270,000 loan?

    I thought the Grafton Food pantry found a new home.

    Why would they move back and subject themselves to a headache?

    Using the meeting minutes would be a good place to start if you really wanted to answer questions from the board.

    Why do they need to write them down?

    Anyway, I’ve seen board members write questions down and pass them to you during the meeting and the questions still don’t get answered.

  7. There is no room at the Grafton Township office for the Grafton Food Pantry.

    They need square footage that is in short supply on Vine Street.

    Linda know this.

    er “press release” to Cal is part of her re-branding and a political stunt.

    Linda, I know that you frequent this site.

    Your response would be appreciated.

    A trustee would have to write the question “Linda, why is there $30,000 missing from the budget?” and submit it to you.

    What are the specific hours during the week that you willingly accept questions in writing?

    Thanks in advance!

  8. The pseudonym “Seriously???” is now spreading nonsense about the appeal process in this thread.

    The short, correct response to his/her misleading post:

    Property owners can only appeal assessments (which are determined by the assessor); they cannot appeal equalization factors.

    The longer (with quotes and citations) answer.

    I invested a lot of time researching this response because taxpayers deserve facts, not wild aspersions or conjecture.

    In a proactive attempt to avert nonsensical replies, quotes and citations from the property tax code are provided below.

    Readers should request the same level of professionalism and courtesy from Seriously??? or any other poster regarding postings on this subject.

    The assessor should take responsibility for his laziness over the past years and not keeping-up with the property value decline rather than blaming the Chief County Assessment Officer (CCAO) for doing his legally-mandated job.

    If the assessor can’t or won’t do his/her job of properly assessing properties, the CCAO must.
    Source: 35 ILCS 200/9-210.

    Only assessments, not equalization, may be appealed.
    35 ILCS 200/12-10 (regarding appeals to the county Board of Review).
    “You may appeal your assessment to the Board of Review.”

    35 ILCS 200/12-10 (regarding appeals to the PTAB).
    “Written notice shall also be given to any taxpayer who filed a complaint in writing with the board and whose assessment was not changed.”

    35 ILCS 200/16-55 (specifically states assessments are appealed).
    “On written complaint that any property is overassessed or underassessed, the board shall review the assessment, …”

    While property owners cannot appeal equalization factors, they can challenge them in court.
    Source: 35 ILCS 200/8-40.
    But that’s a court, not an appeal, action which must be brought by a lawyer.

    They can also voice their opinions at hearings.
    Sources: 35 ILCS 200/12-40 and 35 ILCS 200/17-20.
    But that’s relative to the county’s Board of Review and the state, not the CCAO.

    If Seriously??? or anyone else wishes to post quotes and citations proving property owners can appeal the equalization multiplier by the CCAO, we’re waiting.

    It’s doubtful we’ll get any…

  9. You appeal the final value after the multipliers have been factored in. I have already called the assessors office and they gave me the value they submitted.

    I am comfortable with Mr. Ottleys value as long as the multiplier doesn’t raise it up.

    If it does, I will be filing an appeal, like everyone else should.

    And honestly, I don’t care what codes you quote, and what pieces of information you selectively include on your posts – Mr. Ottley has done a good job for Grafton Township.

    Lazy??? Not hardly, he has always taken the time to answer questions for me.
    I may not always use the correct terminology but the bottom line is that if any resident wants to call his office, Ottley will take their call, answer their questions, and show them why his numbers are what they are.

    So YES you can file an appeal after the MULTIPLIER is added, and you can get it your total value reduced by the board of review, and they do not then add a multiplier back on! So you can in theory appeal the multiplier if that is what raised your value above what you think it should be.

    Again – you keep trying to baffle everyone by citing code. I would rather have someone help me, than quote pieces of code everytime I asked a question.

  10. Seriously??? says:

    10/18/2012 at 8:02 am

    “You won’t be appealing Mr. Ottleys value, you will be appealing the multiplier that the County Assessor Bob Ross hikes us up like they did last year!”

    You didn’t “ask a question;” you made a completely false statement.

  11. We will see if it is a false statement when the assessments are published Al.

    At that point, you can formally apologize here… I look forward to it.

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