Assessor’s Office
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| Larry Wicketts, C.I.A.O. Zion Township Assessor 2816 Sheridan Road Zion, IL 60099 zionassessor@lakecountyil.gov |
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I grew up in Zion and graduated from Zion-Benton High School in 1976. Zion is home and I am proud to say that this community has played an integral part in helping make me the person I am today. Before becoming your Assessor, I was a Principal Appraiser in the Lake County Chief County Assessment Office for over 25 years. I have been a Certified Illinois Assessing Officer since 1983. The office of Township Assessor is one of the most important and least understood of all Township offices; therefore, I would like to help you understand some of the responsibilities that I face as your Assessor. The Assessor appraises each property to determine its market value using methodologies established by the Illinois Department of Revenue. Property is then assessed at 33.33% of that value by statute. There are over 8,300 parcels in Zion Township. I am responsible for placing market values on each parcel in my jurisdiction. The following statement is very important information: In Illinois, Assessors by state law are required to use sales transactions from the three years prior to the assessment date (January 1st of each year) to determine property values for the entire township. Therefore, we cannot consider the 2009 sales until 2010.
Your tax dollars are determined by the tax rate: a percentage representation of the amount of money the taxing bodies require from the property tax system. After the Assessor appraises properties, those assessments are used to distribute the tax burden created by the taxing authorities, such as the school districts, park district, municipalities, and library districts. Consequently, we cannot discuss the amount of your tax bill, only the value of your property. How to Calculate an Estimated Tax Bill In order to maintain proper records on all improved parcels in Zion Township, we receive copies of building permits that are issued by the City of Zion. The Assessor’s Office, in turn, physically inspects each property that is affected by said permits. Also, we receive a copy of each recorded sales declaration from the County Recorder of Deeds. This information allows us to perform a statistical analysis of the market in Zion Township. Our office initiates exemptions such as: Homestead Limited, Homestead Improvement, and Senior Homestead, which we certify to the County for application. As an added service, we assist Zion seniors, age 65 and older, in applying for the Senior Freeze Exemption, as well as the State of Illinois Circuit Breaker program.
As always, if you have any questions or need assistance using the websites shown above, please contact my office directly and we will be more than happy to assist you.
Phone: 847-872-5031 Assessment Information & Appeals Process (.pdf) Zion Tax Rate: Zion Grade Schools Zion Tax Rate: Beach Park Grade Schools Q & A’s About Assessments (PowerPoint Presentation) Uniformity, Equity & Equalization Factors (.pdf) Articles of Interest: News from the Chief County Assessment Office From Your Associate Director – A New Term Begins My Job as Township Assessor “What’s My Job?” – Township Perspective Article |