East Central Reporter

Communication between Coles County officials and the Illinois Department of Revenue suggest a path to rolling back recent property assessments if the county acknowledges they were not done correctly, according to a report from a citizens oversight group.

The revenue agency said nothing provides for the county to perform such a rollback if the assessments were done right, but the Edgar County Watchdogs argue that since that wasn't the case, the agency has basically opened the door to a rollback.

According to the Watchdogs, the county contracted private individuals to conduct the assessments in question -- the first assessments in 16 years, which stand to increase taxes for the affected residents. But the county code stipulates that assessments should be conducted by elected townships assessors, assessors appointed by a township board or a private company or individuals contracted by a township board.

The county code does not allow for the supervisor of assessments to contract assessment work in townships, which is how the recent assessments were conducted. Further, the Watchdogs contend that the county’s public notifications of assessments did not meet statutory requirements.

The group is urging the county to take steps toward rolling back the recent assessments due to these statutory conflicts. If t doesn't, it faces a lawsuit from affected area businesses and possibly one from the federal government, the Watchdogs warned.