Assessment Cycle Status

As my staff and I work to maintain the most equitable assessments in DuPage County, I want to take this opportunity to update you on the current status of the property assessment cycle.

My staff and I completed the 2014 assessments in September, 2014.  The final date to file an assessment appeal for 2014 was October 17, 2014.  Assessment appeal hearings were held in December and January.  Board of Review decisions will be mailed on March 18, 2015. 

We are now working on the 2015 General Assessments, which we will complete during the Fall of 2015.  Because the real estate market has been improving since mid-2013, most assessed valuations in DuPage County will increase slightly for 2015.  All property owners will receive General Assessment Notices this Fall.   

If you recently purchased your property and have received letters from attorneys or “consultants” offering to represent you in an assessment appeal, please call my office before signing any agreement with them.  It is premature to sign an agreement when the 2015 valuation has not yet been determined.  If a reduction is warranted based on the purchase price, you should not have to pay a portion of your tax savings to a third party. 

Tax Rate Corrections

As a reminder, DuPage County residents of School District U-46 and Community College District 509 (Elgin Community College) saw artificially high 2013 tax rates (payable 2014).  The inflated tax rates were miscalculated due to an apportionment error by the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR), as a result of incorrect data provided to the IDOR by the Kane County Clerk’s office.

The 2014 tax rates, payable 2015, will be adjusted to reflect both the corrected apportionments and the overpayments last year from DuPage Residents. 

I am eagerly anticipating the release of the 2014 tax rates by the DuPage County Clerk. The tentative rates will be available March 23, 2015.  I will post information at www.waynetownshipassessor.com after the tentative rates are released.

The 2014 tax bills will be mailed by the DuPage County Treasurer in late April.     

Senior Citizen Exemptions

The Supervisor of Assessments will mail Senior Homestead Exemption status forms and Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Exemption applications in early April.  Please return the status forms to the Supervisor of Assessments at your earliest convenience. 

As always, my staff is available to assist you in completing your Senior Freeze application.   Please bring your 2014 S.S.A. 1099 and U.S. 1040 forms.  As a reminder, this exemption is available to seniors with total household income of $55,000 or less.  This exemption does not freeze the tax bill, but instead freezes the assessed value.  The deadline to apply for the Senior Freeze Exemption for 2015 (payable 2016) is October 1, 2015. 

As you are all aware, this exemption has not been providing the intended relief for most applicants during the last several years of annual assessment reductions.  As assessments decreased, the amount of the exemptions also went down.  Because most assessed values will begin increasing for 2015, applicants for the Senior Freeze will again begin benefiting from the exemption on their 2015 tax bills, payable 2016.

Please call my office if you have questions regarding your assessed valuation, exemptions, or other property assessment concerns, or if you want me to speak to your homeowner’s association.  My staff and I are here to serve you.