Property taxes outpacing pay increases

Thank you for your May 18 article on DuPage County property taxes. It certainly raised my awareness that falling property values won't decrease my property tax bill as government can simply raise the tax rate. The year-to-year percentage increase since 2000, as noted, has averaged about 5.3 percent during the past nine years. Knowing that taxes seldom, if ever, go down, I can use the 5.3 percent to figure out when to move out of Glendale Heights.

I recently took on the task of fighting a $5,000 increase in assessed value. When I arrived at the courthouse, there were no fewer than three public servants in the room to hear my case. Needless to say, my appeal was rejected. I would still encourage everyone to use the county Web site to compare the assessed value of similar homes in your neighborhood to yours and get two to three Realtor estimates on market value in order to challenge upward reassessments.

As nice as a community is, when the property taxes outpace year-to- year pay increases, it won't be long before residents figure out that the communities with the lower property tax bills might be the best long-term bet. I'd feel different if we were getting the schools we are paying for, but that has not been my experience.

Please continue your fine reporting on all forms of taxes because only awareness and knowledge will enable citizens to stem the super-sizing of government in all forms.

Larry Grogan

Glendale Heights