East Central Reporter

Coles County, Illinois – Concerns have been raised over the property tax assessment of a home owned by a former Fire Protection District trustee. This follows a review of inconsistencies in property tax records for the past six years. The property in question belongs to the son of Shirley Willison, the East Oakland-Morgan Multi Township Assessor.

Shirley Willison has stated that she was unable to assess her son's home or her own, confirming suspicions outlined in previous reports. Communications between the County Supervisor of Assessments' office and Willison have highlighted potential issues for taxpayers.

"I couldn’t assess it anyway, nor mine, but I thought I need to ask if there is anything someone else might have done on it," said Willison. Her acknowledgment that assessments were not performed raises questions about who might be responsible for such tasks.

A Freedom of Information Act request has been submitted seeking all communications received by the Supervisor of Assessments from township or multi-township assessors requesting assessments on properties they are not permitted to evaluate themselves. This request covers a ten-year period and includes all relevant communications.

The Supervisor of Assessments office responded with: "We have no record of any actual assessor work submitted but I have attached copies of the 6 year history of assessments on the property."

Questions remain as to why other properties were assessed while this particular one was not. The property was purchased in 2012 for $34,000 and had a taxable value reduction from $15,201 in 2012 to $2,337 in 2024.

This situation prompts further inquiry into how many homes in Oakland experienced similar reductions in taxable value and who is responsible for assessing Willison's property.