MOSQUITOES BEWARE !!

Cuba Township’s mosquito control program is already underway, with inspection and treatment of breeding sites throughout the Township in retention ponds, drainage ditches, wetlands and low areas that tend to hold water.  Services are provided to the Township through a contract with Clarke Mosquito.  Thousands of acres will be treated within the Township this summer to reduce nuisance mosquito populations and prevent the spread of West Nile Virus.

 

Homeowners in incorporated (villages) and unincorporated Cuba Township are encouraged to report standing water (more than 3 days) on their property to the “Mosquito Hotline” at Clarke Mosquito.  The hotline also provides information on West Nile Virus and mosquito control.  The “Mosquito hotline” can be reached toll-free at 800-942-2555.

Assessor, REBECCA M. TONIGAN

Illinois statues provide that the role of the Township Assessor is to establish the fair market value of all properties in a township.  The Assessor does not set tax rates, estimate taxes or collect taxes.  The Assessor establishes the fair market value of individual properties from which the assessed value is set at 33 1/3% of the market value.  Municipalities, fire, park and library districts, forest preserves, counties and schools determine and set their tax rates.  The County Clerk and Treasurer’s offices process the tax bills and collect the taxes.

 

As required by law, reassessment of property in Cuba Township should occur once every 4 years.  2004 was supposed to have been a “quadrennial” reassessment year in Cuba Township.  This was not the case due to the absence and illness of the former Assessor.  In fact, a true quadrennial reassessment has not occurred in Cuba Township since 1996. 

 

Given the large increases in market values over the past 10 years, many properties throughout the township are grossly under assessed and in very few cases some are over assessed.  One example of the former, is a house in the township that sold recently for $445,000.00. The attorney for the seller called my office and asked why the tax bill for the property in question was only $2,600.00.  I researched the issue and found the value on the township books was only $182,000.00, (this is full market value, not assessed value). Obviously this house is truly undervalued and the assessment needs to be increased. 

 

Because of the approximately 9,000 properties within Cuba Township, and despite a yeoman’s effort by all of my staff, we have come to the conclusion that we will not be able to perform a quadrennial reassessment this year.  We are in the process of converting to a County supported mass appraisal system which requires inputting each individual parcel into the new system and in many cases going out and re-measuring the properties in the field.  I am sure many of you have encountered some of my staff out in your areas. These tasks must be completed before a quadrennial reassessment can be performed. We will ,however ,be reassessing in limited areas, such as home improvements, new homes and some areas where we know there are gross inequities. 

 

Once my part of the process is completed, my books get turned in to the Supervisor of Assessments of Lake County where he looks at the completed figures and then applies an “equalization factor” to the final assessment on each parcel.  I was told this year the factor would be approximately 4%.  This will be reflected on your blue assessment card.

 

When you receive your “blue assessment card” in the mail, if you feel that your house is truly over-assessed (you don’t think you could sell it for what it is valued at or your house is the same as your neighbors but theirs is valued lower) please contact my office and set up an appointment to see me.  I am always willing to listen with an open mind to your concerns.  This could eliminate your having to file an appeal with the Lake County Board of Review.  Please do not contact me until you receive your blue cards and the assessments have been published in the Barrington Courier Review.  This should be some time in September. 

 

 

 

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