What is a caucus?

A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a specific political party or movement during which they nominate and endorse a candidate.

Register for the December 1st Township caucus here.

What is an assessor?

The assessor sets the market value of all real estate in the township, from the smallest vacant lot to the largest factory (unless tax-exempt). The assessor ensures that these valuations are accurate and everyone pays their fair share of property taxes.

The assessor has a second job that many people don’t know about. When a property owner appeals their taxes, the assessor can agree, disagree, or offer a settlement between the two values. If the offer is rejected, the next step is to appeal to the Lake County Board of Review. At the hearing, the property owner (or the attorney) has time to present their case, and the assessor has time to present theirs. The hearing officers decide a value on the spot and that value is the final value for the year.