Winnebago County Property Owners to Receive Property Assessment Notices

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WINNEBAGO COUNTY, Ill. – The Winnebago County Supervisor of Assessment's office will be mailing approximately 120,000 Property Assessment Notices to Winnebago County taxpayers this week in order to inform them of their 2023 property assessment valuation. In addition to the mailing, all tax parcels within the County will have their assessed value published in a local newspaper of general circulation within the township in which the property is located. This assessment publication will open the 30 calendar day window in which taxpayers may file a Property Assessment Complaint with the Winnebago County Board of Review.

Assessed Values have a direct correlation with non-farmland, open market, real estate sales within a given jurisdiction and are required by law to reflect a median assessment level of 33 1/3% of fair market value. An Equalization Factor is applied by the Supervisor of Assessment's office to most non-farm property within each township to ensure compliance with state statute. The sales used in determining this assessment level are taken from arm's length transactions that meet certain criteria, as specified by the Illinois Department of Revenue, which occurred from 2020 through 2022.

The assessed value of a property plays an integral role in calculating an individual property's tax liability, but it is only one part of the equation. Whereas, the assessment process ensures that the property tax collected for a given taxing body is uniformly and equitably distributed based upon a property's fair market value, the other half of the equation is determined by the individual taxing districts and what they project they will need to levy in order to meet their budget demands for the upcoming year. This levy, in conjunction with the total tax base within a jurisdiction, results in the tax rate for that taxing body. In general, tax rates are inversely proportional to the total equalized assessed value within a jurisdiction.

"It's important to keep in mind that while the assessed value of your property may increase a certain percentage, it does not necessarily mean that your tax bill is going to increase by that same percentage," said Winnebago County Supervisor of Assessments Tom Hodges. "As the tax base continues to increase, driven by both new development as well as the recent housing market, many taxing districts throughout Winnebago County have made a concerted effort to hold their levies flat, which in turn has resulted in declining tax rates."

Property owners receiving an assessment notice should take the time to carefully review its contents to ensure that they are being assessed fairly and uniformly and that they are receiving any Homestead Exemptions which they may be entitled to. Taxpayers who feel that their property is over assessed should contact their Township Assessor to review the details of their property as reflected on their Property Record Card. Those who still wish to file a Property Assessment Complaint may do so by filing a Property Assessment Complaint Form with the Winnebago County Board of Review. Property Assessment Complaints must be received, or postmarked by the appropriate deadline date or they will not be considered by the Board. More information can be found on our website or by calling (815) 319-4463.

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