Editorial: Legislation would help make tax assessments fair, accurate
It is apparent after spending just five minutes with Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi and the people around him that his new administration is serious about bringing reliability and professionalism to an agency that for decades has been known for the opposite. Over time, that bodes well for all taxpayers. It has already resulted in action that would address one of the most serious problems facing county government, commercial property assessments.
Traditionally, Cook County's valuations have been conspicuous for their inaccuracy on all types of property, but there is strategic value in focusing first on the commercial arena. Because of the county's philosophy, unique among Illinois counties, that tilts responsibility for generating property tax revenues toward businesses, all assessment issues - residential as well as business - flow from how commercial assessments are handled. It is therefore critical to ensure that these assessments are accurate and free from political influence.
Kaegi's office has worked with state lawmakers to craft new statutory rules that will do that, enabling the county to collect more data than it ever has before, to apply the data where it is needed and to manage all its work on the basis of information instead of guesswork and clout.
Senate Bill 1379 has passed on a 36-16-1 vote. The companion House Bill 2217 is stuck in committee, taxpayers should hope not for long. The measure deserves open discussion in the House, and we're confident that will lead to necessary, long-overdue improvements in the assessment of property values in Cook County. And, it may provide opportunities for other counties in Illinois to improve their assessment processes as well.
House Speaker Michael Madigan, whose law practice has thrived on commercial property tax appeals, has recused himself from acting on this proposal. His spokesman said he recognizes the inherent potential for a conflict of interest, and we hope Democrats in the House recognize the unflattering optics for him and them if the bill stays bottled up in committee. Numerous Cook County Democrats have signed onto the bill - including suburban representatives Fred Crespo, Marty Moylan, Mark Walker and Kathleen Willis - and they should be pressing to move the legislation forward.
At its foundation, this proposal is built on the primacy and the neutrality of data. Property valuations based on limited information or on the wrong information are prone to precisely the kinds of subjective, parochial inequalities that have plagued Cook County's assessments.
Inaccurate assessments based on outmoded technologies carry all kinds of costs. Government pays more to collect information. Taxpayers pay more to lawyers to fight their claims. Schools, municipalities and other agencies that rely on taxes pay more to challenge underassessments that reduce their revenues and force their constituents to pay more in taxes. Plus, they create a culture of inequality, resentment and cynicism.
These costs and this culture have too long been the calling card of the Cook County Assessor's Office. A new assessor has demonstrated not just an interest in addressing them but the skill and energy to back it up. The Illinois House should give him - and any other county assessors who want them - the tools needed to get the job done.