* Press release…
Today, Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Daniel Biss unveiled his HOME plan for property tax fairness and relief, a comprehensive approach to fix Illinois’ broken property tax valuation, assessment, and appeals system.
“Our property tax system is completely broken, but perfectly reflects the fundamental problem with Illinois right now – the middle class pays more than they should, and we still can’t meet our obligations or fund our priorities because the very rich game the system to pay less than their fair share,” said Biss.
The Biss HOME plan will make property tax valuation in Illinois fairer, end the property tax appeals racket that lines the pockets of attorneys and politicians at the expense of ordinary homeowners, and ultimately provide property tax relief for working and middle-class families.
“For too long the millionaires and machine politicians have been able to manipulate the corrupt property tax system to benefit themselves, leaving ordinary homeowners to pay more. It’s time for a property tax system that’s fair to the rest of us,” Biss added as he laid out his plan before the Melrose Park home of Barbara Garner. Mrs. Garner was recently featured in the Tribune’s bombshell report exposing how the valuation system set up by the Cook County Assessor’s office “harmed the poor and helped the rich.”
“You’ll hear a lot in this campaign decrying our broken property tax system. What you won’t hear are admissions from millionaires and billionaires that they used their wealth and connections to secure six-figure pay days from a system they now decry as candidates. What you also won’t hear are solutions. We need to be honest about our problems. But, the people of Illinois know what’s wrong with Illinois. What they also deserve are honest solutions.”
Biss also announced that he will introduce the Honesty, Openness, Modernization, and Ethics (HOME) in Assessments Act in the state senate along with Sen. Jacqueline Collins later this week.
The Biss HOME Property Tax Fairness and Relief Plan includes:
Honesty and Openness
End the secret and confusing valuation process by requiring county assessors to make it clear to homeowners how they determine our tax bills and prevent assessors from keeping their actions secret.
• Require assessors to publicly disclose the models they use to estimate and validate the value of homes and business.
• Require state oversight and reporting on local officials, conduct audits, provide data, and remove authority from officials who repeatedly fail to do their jobs.
Modernization
• Require assessors to modernize their broken valuation systems, which unfairly make low and middle-income homeowners pay more and rich ones pay less, and fairly value our homes.
• Require detailed statistical analysis by the Department of Revenue to reveal whether properties are being assessed properly, uniformly, and equitably. With modern and fair valuation methods, wealthier residents will pay their fair share, and our over-reliance on property tax appeals to provide relief for low and middle-income homeowners will be reduced.
Ethics
End the racket that lines the pockets of machine politicians and property tax lawyers at the expense of ordinary homeowners.
• Subject property tax lawyers to pay-for-play rules that curb conflicts of interest. Limit contributions from property tax lawyers to assessors, candidates for assessor, and others involved in processing appeals to $750 a year. Any contributions above that cap would result in prohibiting the violating property tax attorney from practicing law.
Nothing too over the top radical there, which is one reason why Chris Kennedy is currently dominating this particular lane with his own “radical” proposals.
* Biss also went after JB Pritzker this week on a different issue, closing the carried interest loophole. Click here for the video. A related story is here.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From the Chris Kennedy campaign…
We’re pleased to see that Chris Kennedy’s push to reform our broken property tax system is gaining interest. All the other Democratic primary candidates should take this issue further by letting voters know if they would embrace the reforms that Chris Kennedy laid out weeks back. We need a leader who is going to restore voters’ faith in our government and our property tax system.
*** UPDATE 2 *** From Abby Witt on Sen. Daniel Biss’ campaign…
“Decrying how broken our property tax system is for ordinary people after landing a six-figure payday for yourself with the help of Mike Madigan isn’t radical, it’s ridiculous. Daniel is doing what other politicians aren’t doing: stating the problem, clearly defining a real, immediate solution that addresses the actual problem, and advocating for the passage of bills to help everyday Illinoisans. If the last two and a half years have taught us anything, it’s that the ultra-wealthy think government service is about hearing themselves talk rather than rolling up their sleeves to get the job done.”
*** UPDATE 3 *** From Jacob Kaplan of the Joe Berrios campaign committee…
“Assessor Berrios strictly follows all campaign finance laws; indeed, all laws. Were a law or laws to change, he would follow any new regulations.”
*** UPDATE 4 *** From the assessor’s office…
The Cook County Assessor’s Office stands by its previous statements that it assesses property fairly and accurately.
We remind Candidate Biss of this basic fact: an Assessor does not set property tax rates or levies. School districts, municipalities and other taxing bodies do that. The Assessor does not decide the dollar amount of property tax bills.
Property assessment is completely separate from local revenue determinations made to meet local budgets. In fact, budgets for schools, police, fire protection and other community needs are forecast a year in advance and are set long before properties are even assessed.
There is equity in assessment in Cook County because Assessor Joseph Berrios and his staff long ago adapted -and always adhere to- the high Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP). These USPAP standards are practiced across the nation. We are no different.
Part of Candidate Biss’ proposal would usurp the rightful authority of every county assessor in the state. This makes no sense and reflects his lack of knowledge of how property assessment works.
Because this office does not engage in political discussions, we referred your inquiry’s facet about political contributions to the Cook County Democratic Party.
- Say What? - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 11:30 am:
Biss helped eliminate the Township Assessor’s office in Evanston Township. Will eliminating township assessors be part of his plan?
- Sad Sack - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 11:40 am:
NB;DR. (Not a billionaire, didn’t read.)
- Oneman - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 11:40 am:
Not a bad set of ideas..
Would add make actual property tax bill a homeowner gets easier to understand.
Use full evaluation not some % to calculate taxes so it is clearer.
- walker - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 11:46 am:
You gotta give Biss credit. While others spout generalities, (in some cases for 2+years) Biss produces focused proposals to solve defined problems.
Can actual plans beat statements of disaster coupled with hope-based images in campaigns?
- Anonish - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 12:01 pm:
He loses credibility with me when he says during his event “we’ve seen this system operate the way it is for a long period of time” and yet he has never put spoken up on it until Chris Kennedy starts making hay on the issue.
When you have “always suspected” a bad system but only propose action when you run for governor you sound either full of it that you always suspected or that you suspected but didn’t care enough to act.
- anon2 - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 12:02 pm:
Biss and his fellow candidates can “reform” the property tax system all they want, but the property tax burden will not go down unless and until state funding pays for a significantly larger share of K-12 education.
- DuPage Saint - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 12:04 pm:
Make assessor send out, along with the tax bill, a list of his contributors or at least publish with assessment notice in papers. And if you are going to punish attorneys by not letting them practice for violating contributions punish assessor make him forfeit office for violating contribution law. Also would be great if they had an anti nepotism law that worked but that goes to fantasy land.
- Amalia - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 12:06 pm:
Biss will make a fine department head.
- RNUG - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 12:12 pm:
Guess I don’t really see the need for it in Sangamon County. The bills are pretty transparent, although you do have to go to the individual taxing authorities to find out exactly how each one came up with their number. Properties are reassessed on a regular basis. And, at least in my township, they automatically reset the appraised value to the purchase price when a sale occurs.
I know an assessor or two (not the ones for my property), and they seem to be hard working and conscientious.
I assume this bill is mostly targeted at Chicago / Cook.
- The Captain - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 12:23 pm:
The Modernization part is the elephant in the room. If you read through the Trib’s series on Cook County once you get past the mismanagement of Berrios you’re still stuck with the county system stuck on the mainframe, much like most of state government. You could put Stephen Hawking in charge of assessments but until you dedicate enough money to get off the mainframe most of your reform efforts are limited to whatever options the mainframe can support. IT upgrades are important but they always take less of a priority than most other spending (education, social services, debt/pension payments, etc.) so until you actually find the money for this it’s just happy talk.
- sharkette - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 12:49 pm:
Maintaining,& paying for mainframe upkeep & support is equivalent to buying service maintenance contracts on your grand mothers 1962 refrigerator your cellar.
It would cost less to renew to new.
It is the very foundation that runs the entire state, the backbone, the malware protection the email, the network tools, the telephone systems , like the 1800 calls DHS receives daily.
ALL IT runs ALL state ops.
It is a service to inside- the employees and out side- the people who live here’s everything.
IT upgrades reduce EVERYONE’S cost of everything
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 1:00 pm:
Pritzker is going toe-to-toe with Rauner and these guys are trying to out maneuver each other to run for Assessor?
Property taxes are a big issue statewide, and I understand Pritzker’s vulnerability with his personal situation, but c’mon guys. At least remind voters that Rauner’s “freeze” isn’t going to work as intended and will likely have negative unintended consequences. In short, Rauner’s ideas are bad for Illinois.
You can’t find any room in your statement for that? Really?
- Keyser Soze - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 1:13 pm:
Home prices in my County were flat for many years during the past decade. But, property taxes went up in each of those years. This, more likely than not, was the product of a computer algorithm, apparently a bad computer algorithm. Fortunately, the County was (and is)very fair in reviewing appeals of the annual tax bumps. This, of course, favors those who have the time and know-how to negotiate through the system. If there is flaw in this process, it is that it places the burden of proof on property owners without clearly and transparently self-regulating. Home owners were well aware that property values were in decline during the Great Recession. Yet, tax assessors were seemingly oblivious; property value went down, property taxes went up. That needs to change. It would be nice if tax officials would proactively seek to minimize the need for appeals rather than wait for them to happen. Citizens shouldn’t have to work so hard to receive a square deal. As it is, those who don’t understand the system, don’t have the time to invest, etc., end up paying more than they should.
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 1:22 pm:
===Home prices in my County were flat for many years during the past decade. But, property taxes went up in each of those years.===
If the cost of your schools and local government go up every year so too will your property taxes. Home prices have little to do with how much it costs to run your school district, your county, your municipality, library district, community college, park district, forest preserve district, sanitary district, etc.
- Joe M - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 1:43 pm:
In theory if all of the local taxing bodies only asked for the same amount of money as they did the year before, all assessments could double and your tax bill would stay the same. But of course that wouldn’t happen, as the taxing bodies would raise the levy to account for the lower assessments. And in most cases they need the extra money to account for inflation, unfunded mandates, pay raises, raises in the cost of insurance and other expenses.
- Joe M - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 1:47 pm:
I think most people’s gripe is with their property tax bill and not the assessment. The assessment is only placing a market value on your home. Then the county clerk has to figure in all the money asked for by the taxing bodies and come up with levies to place on the assessments. One’s tax bill is still mainly determined by how much money all the taxing bodies on one’s tax bill ask for.
- Anon0091 - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 1:59 pm:
“- Amalia - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 12:06 pm:
Biss will make a fine department head.”
Indeed he will…or a fine legislator. Though this “proposal” is pretty scant on details. But then again neither was Kennedy’s (other than to ban legislators from being property tax appeals lawyers).
- JoeMaddon - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 2:27 pm:
**Though this “proposal” is pretty scant on details. **
Biss is filing legislation this week, as he said in his press conference.
- Keyser Soze - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 3:19 pm:
Perhaps I should clarify. During the recession the assessor automatically increased the assessed values of property, even though property values were declining. Because property taxes are based on a formula tied to the assessed value of property, property taxes increase when assessed values increase, ipso facto. Government’s appetite for money can only change this if the formula is properly changed, not on the whim of the hungry government.
- Responsa - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 3:33 pm:
== It would be nice if tax officials would proactively seek to minimize the need for appeals rather than wait for them to happen. Citizens shouldn’t have to work so hard to receive a square deal.==
In May we received completely unsolicited letters from three different law firms offering to “fight to lower our property taxes”. Two of them thoughtfully enclosed a “retainer agreement” to sign and return. There might be a hidden correlation to Kayser Soze’s 1:13 pm post, no?
:)
- Joe M - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 3:33 pm:
==During the recession the assessor automatically increased the assessed values of property, even though property values were declining==
Sounds like you had a bad assessor. The majority of assessors try to do an honest job of valuing property. Also, the Illinois Dept of Revenue already does assessment ratio studies of comparing houses sold to the assessed value that had been assigned to them - and works with the local counties to assign equalizer/multiplier factors if assessments are out of wack with sale prices.
http://tax.illinois.gov/Publications/Pubs/Pub-136.pdf
- Joe M - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 3:36 pm:
And those assessment ratio studies are published:
http://www.revenue.state.il.us/AboutIdor/TaxStats/PropertyTaxStats/Table-1/2015-AssessmentRatios.pdf
- Shytown - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 4:08 pm:
So only elected officials know how to roll up their sleeves and get things done according to Biss? I guess Biss hasn’t paid much attention to what Pritzker has done throughout his life. Being a billionaire makes things a lot easier for anyone, no doubt, but it’s also what you do with it and I think he’s done some pretty damn impressive things for vulnerable people and Biss’ cheap shots are just that.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 4:45 pm:
These Cook County politicians are staying mum about the biggest inequity.
Cook County homeowners are assessed at about 22% after imposition of the state multiplier, while those homeowners living outside of Cook County are assessed at 33%.
How is that fair?
- Roman - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 4:50 pm:
Advice for the Joe Berrios camp: drop the “(insert name) doesn’t understand the assessment process” argument. It comes across as arrogant. And worse, it reinforces the widely held perception that you control a rigged game — one you get away with rigging precisely because few understand the process.