Avon Township appoints interim assessor

Avon Township board members have hired an interim assessor, and agreed to send a trustee for certification so he can be considered to fill the vacant position permanently.

Former Lake County Board of Review member Bob Glueckert will replace Bryce Carus, who has served as township assessor since January 2010. Carus announced his resignation last Monday citing health reasons.

“I speak on behalf of the board when I say we thank Mr. Carus very much for his service to the township and wish him nothing but the best moving forward,” township Supervisor Sam Yingling said at a special meeting Wednesday night.

Glueckert, who recently ended his board of review term, was highly recommended to the township by Chief County Assessment Officer Martin Paulson, officials said. With the township, he will work as an independent contractor and be paid $1,250 per week with no benefits.

While Glueckert will oversee the operations of the assessment process, the board voted 3-1 to transfer authority of assessor personnel and financing to the supervisor’s office during the interim period.

The board also agreed by a 3-1 vote to send Trustee Chris Ditton to seek Certified Illinois Assessing Office certification. Yingling said Ditton is a real estate attorney and has a strong command of the subject matter.

“Once the certification is completed, then the board will have to determine if they will appoint him,” Yingling said.

Ditton will pay for the assessing office training, not Avon Township, Yingling said.

Trustee William McNeill said he supports hiring Glueckert, adding he has high respect for Paulson and his recommendation. However, he voted against transferring the assessor’s budgetary and personnel authority to the supervisor’s office.

“The most important office in a township is the assessor’s office. This is where the money is collected. If the money is not collected efficiently, everyone loses,” he said.

McNeill said the staff in the assessor’s office is doing a good job now, and it should stay that way until a new assessor is appointed.

“Hopefully Sam won’t change the ship, but he does have the authority now,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned, the office is being run smooth. That is what I am looking for, that the office is run smoothly for the people.”

McNeill also voted against sending Ditton to seek certification, saying this should not be board action.

“It shows clearly this board, not including me, is going to appoint Ditton as our township assessor,” he said. “If he is qualified, that is the way it is. But it clearly showed tonight politics are involved.” In 2009, Carus ran on the Yingling-led Avon Forward political slate that included Ditton, Trustee Marc Feldstein and others. McNeill was part of the Avon One team headed by former township supervisor Shirley Christian. Yingling said the certification may be a two- to three-month process before a formal appointment may take place.

Avon Township encompasses all or part of Grayslake, Hainesville, Round Lake, Round Lake Beach, Round Lake Park, Round Lake Heights, Third Lake and unincorporated Lake County. The highway department handles unincorporated roads.