DuPage leaders want to take look at assessment cap

By Robert Sanchez Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Wednesday, July 14, 2004


It's a new law meant to limit skyrocketing house values.

And it has the support of one of DuPage County's best-known politicians.

So why aren't DuPage County Board members rushing to OK an annual 7 percent cap on property assessments?

County Board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom said county leaders first want to be certain that the cap Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed into law this week doesn't have any negative impact.

"While this thing really appears to be motherhood and apple pie right now, in five years we may be all scratching our heads saying it wasn't a good thing," he said.

Schillerstrom on Tuesday appointed a six-member ad hoc committee to study the short- and long-term consequences of the proposed changes. The full county board has six months before it must make a final decision.

"So when we do make a decision, it will be an educated decision," he said.

The decision to research the assessment cap comes even though state Rep. Lee Daniels pushed the idea earlier this year. Daniels made the suggestion after suburban assessors reported large increases in home values. In DuPage County, some neighborhoods saw houses shoot up 30 percent in value.

A tax cap already limits the amount many governments can levy, but rising assessments often mean higher tax bills, anyway.

"It doesn't matter where you live," said Vicki Crawford, Daniels spokeswoman. "High property tax bills is an issue whether it's Chicago, Elmhurst or Carbondale, Illinois."

But DuPage County leaders point out that while the new law caps the assessments, it doesn't cap the amount of money that could be raised by a taxing body.

Schillerstrom said the revenue will be the same. It just rearranges who pays for it.

So while a 7 percent cap will benefit people in areas where land values are skyrocketing, Schillerstrom said it could mean residents elsewhere will have to make up the difference.

"One of my concerns is that what you may have is one sector of the population, probably a relatively small sector, that will have some tax relief," he said. "And then everybody else to equalize that tax relief is going to have a tax increase."

County board member Grant Eckhoff, who will chair the ad hoc committee, agrees.

"I want to keep an open mind and take a look at it," he said. "But I don't want it to be a tax cut for the wealthy, made up by seniors or first-time home buyers."

County board members Tom Bennington, Linda Kurzawa, Yolanda Campuzano, Jim Healy and Patrick O'Shea also have been asked to serve on the advisory panel.

Eckhoff said the committee will have its first meeting later this month, expecting to finish its review in 30 to 45 days.

In the meantime, Schillerstrom wants public hearings held so that all affected governments will have input into the review.