Will Higher Assessments Lead to Higher Taxes?

Real estate assessments are being hiked by 8% in a lot of townships. That has to be scaring people who don’t understand the property tax system. There are two parts to the tax bill: the assessment the tax rate On … Continue reading

Effective Tax Rates in McHenry County

The only way to compare property tax burdens is to divide one’s property tax bill by the value of one’s home. That’s what the Chicago Tribune did in November of 2015. The effective tax rates found for McHenry County towns … Continue reading

New, Free Property Info Tool for McHenry County

A press release from McHenry County: McHenry County introduces new, free “Online Property Inquiry” tool to County website The new, free “Online Property Inquiry” tool provides the public with an easy-to-use mechanism to access property parcel and tax information. This one-stop shop … Continue reading

Rural Woodstock Tax Analysis

A friend of McHenry County Blog offers this analysis of Woodstock’s rural tax rates: These are the past 4 years of tax rates; that is, the percentage taken of 1/3 of the assessed fair market value of taxpayers’ homes. Tax … Continue reading

Franks Aims Legislative Arrows at Property Taxpayers

On the first day of his third set of three-year terms, Democratic Party State Rep. Jack Franks introduced four bill that could be merchandised to homeowners in a General Election four years from now. Seems to me it is in … Continue reading

Real Estate Tax Burden Shift for Seniors

Senior citizens who are eligible for the senior citizen assessment freeze got a surprise last year. Their tax bills went up. That’s because other people’s assessments went down. It’s called “burden shift.” The tax burden was shifted from non-seniors to … Continue reading

Will Lower Assessments Lead to Lower Taxes?

The Illinois real estate assessment system bases one’s share of the total bill on the value of one’s property (unless one has farm land). A short history of how we got where we are. The 1870 Constitution required that real … Continue reading

Incoming Grafton Township Assessor Al Zielinski Outlines Taxpayer Bill of Rights

Take a look and give your reaction to Al Zielinski’s ideas for a Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Zielinski takes office as Grafton Township Assessor the first of the new year. Initial, Conceptual Property Owners’ Taxpayer Bill of Rights Discussion Points … Continue reading

McHenry County College Passes Flat Levy, Taxes Will Decrease

The three newly-elected McHenry County College Board members joined with the Board President they elected to pass a property tax levy that will collect the same amount next year as this year. The zero increase levy was originally on the … Continue reading

County Government Aims to Capture New Growth

The inadequate language of the Property Tax Cap encourages tax districts to “balloon” levy. The Tax Cap, know as PTELL to the technocrats, has two parts. In the first, which is most widely known, tax districts like schools and county … Continue reading

Huntley Tea Party Holding Property Tax Meeting Wednesday in Algonquin

A press release from the Huntley Area Tea Party: Property Tax Action Group Addresses Huntley Area Tea Party over Lunch At Huntley Area Tea Party, May is “Action” month. We begin with a lunch gathering at 12:30 pm* on Wednesday, … Continue reading

Most Tax Rates for McHenry County’s Upcoming Tax Bills – Up 15% in Algonquin Township Part of Lakewood

Here’s what it looks like for my Algonquin Township part of Lakewood: MCHENRY COUNTY – $1.00 per $100 of assessed valuation (up from 79 cents per $100 – this must include the 708 Board Mental Health tax) MCHENRY CO CONSV … Continue reading

State Says McHenry County Assessments Must Go Down 9%

That’s what Supervisor of Assessments Robert Ross emailed me in September: “The Department of Revenue has indicated McHenry County assessments must go down approximately 9 percent in 2012.” Now comes my Algonquin Township assessment notice and guess what it says? … Continue reading

Assessment Appeal Deadlines Thus Far

There are thirty days to appeal one’s assessment after publication of real estate assessments. Here is the schedule for those whose publication has occurred or who publication is set: 2012 ASSESSMENT PUBLICATIONS The 2012 assessments for McHenry Township will publish … Continue reading

Message of the Day – A Tee Shirt for Tax Hikers

Today’s message is dedicated to those McHenry County Board members and other tax district officials who have or will cast “Yes” votes for any budget which exceeds last year’s extension. The tee shirt says, “Whatever it is, I didn’t do … Continue reading