To All County Board Members:
As large property owners in Peoria County, we join with other local property
owners in objecting to the very substantial increases the current review
board has placed on area properties. Having been in the Peoria real estate
market for over 40 years, we see no sound justification for the huge
percentage of increases. As evidence of the size of increased valuations,
we have enclosed a schedule that reflects the percentage of increases placed
on several of our properties.
Who to hire and fire is your job, but far too many good citizens and
business owners who invest in this community are at odds with the valuation
placed upon their properties, and "some action" on your part is required to
rectify the current situation we are experiencing. Therefore, we ask that
you take this matter very seriously before we see further deterioration in
the local economy due to unjustified taxation of real estate.
Regards,
David S. Joseph
This is typical of the dozens of phone calls, letters, emails, etc., not to mention the dozens of people who have appeared before the full board or the Tax/Economic Development Committee over the past year or more.
Last night the full board voted almost unanimously to retain Nancy Horton and Gary Shadid for another 3 years on the tax Board of Review. Committee Chairman Mayer lent his support for their retention, $40,000 a year, part time, as did County Board Chairman O'Neill and a statement from Bill Atkins of the States Attorney's Office, "if it is the arbitrary assignment of values, then we have had an arbitrary Board of Review for about 30 years as these attacks are nothing new".
In my studied opinion, this is hardly a correct statement as complaints show a compelling amount of discrepancies in purchase, sales and believed proven (by the protesters) actual values over the past two years.
The County Administrator was quoted in the JS on May 14, in an article mis- labeled "Board of Review releases proposed changes", corrected the next day in the JS, as the proposed changes came from our administrator working with the B of R., stating in the 5 page document sent to all county board member, that "only township assessors can apply values to individual properties, that each case is decided on its merit regarding equity and fair market value and that a township assessor may be able to correct an assessed value".
One county board member had their personal residence property tax halved by asking for a visit from their township assessor. The same township assessor's assistant told me that the township assessor couldn't help me and that I had to take up what I thought was an unfair assessment, directly to the B. of R.
Hmmmmmm.
The administrators letter also said that "questions may be directed to "Democrat" Dave Ryan, the Supervisor of Assessments for the county".
Whatever the problems are, the county must have a system that is fair to all property tax payers knowing that not all people will be satisfied with their assessment.
Note I said a fairer, more easily understood process and perhaps a change in the the way the state regulates the tax assessment of all properties.
I do not believe the nagging questions hovering over property values and property taxes, will go away without some considerable changes wherever the changes need to be made.
