Assessments mean big tax hikes loom

Many thanks to Dave Souder (Fence Post, Wednesday) for his in-depth research into the outrageous property tax assessment increases in Wheeling Township.

While citizens and the media have focused their ire on the RTA and Stroger sales tax increases of 1.25 percent, the Assessor Houlihan increases portend stratospheric rises in property tax bills.

My home, unfortunately, falls into the upper end of the 20-29 percent increase bracket along with the other 25,786 parcels.

With recent headlines showing an actual 12 percent decline in real property values in the Chicago area, one could justifiably submit that many homeowners in Wheeling Township are being overassessed by a whopping 40 percent or more.

While I'm sure the assessor would encourage me to appeal my assessment, past experience tells me that this is a waste of my time.

One need only research the political lineage of yet another Cook County official to see the result of way too much in-breeding.

James C. Pawelski

Arlington Heights