East Central Reporter

Effingham County has received a tentative property assessment equalization factor of 1.0000, as announced by David Harris, the director of the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR). This factor, commonly referred to as the "multiplier," ensures uniform property assessments across counties, a requirement under state law. Such equalization is crucial due to the overlap of some of the state's 6,600 local taxing districts into multiple counties.

State legislation mandates that properties in Illinois be assessed at one-third of their market value. However, farm properties are treated differently; while homesites and dwellings follow regular assessing procedures, farmland and farm buildings are evaluated based on productivity standards.

The determination of the equalization factor for each county involves comparing sales prices over three years with assessed values set by local assessors. When assessments average one-third of market value over this period, the multiplier remains at 1.0000. If assessments deviate from this benchmark—being either higher or lower—the multiplier adjusts accordingly.

For Effingham County, assessments have averaged 33.14% based on sales from 2021 to 2023. The current equalization factor applies to taxes for 2024 payable in 2025. Last year’s multiplier was also set at 1.0000.

This tentative factor could change if actions by the County Board of Review significantly impact county assessments or if new data suggests adjustments are necessary to IDOR's estimates. A public hearing will occur between 20 and 30 days following its publication in a local newspaper.

It is important to note that changes in the equalization factor do not directly alter total property tax bills. These bills depend on local taxing bodies' annual financial requests for providing community services. Unless these requests exceed previous amounts received, total property taxes remain unchanged despite potential assessment increases.

The assessed value determines an individual's share of the tax burden within their community; however, this share remains unaffected by any changes in the multiplier.