Meet the Assessor and Staff

Thomas S. Smogolski, Assessor, SRA, CIAO
Tom was first elected as Assessor in 2001. Tom and his wife Cathy have resided in Bartlett since 1989. Tom holds the SRA designation from the Appraisal Institute, which he was awarded in 1989 and the CIAO designation from the State of Illinois. Tom is a licensed Certified Residential Appraiser and a licensed Real Estate Broker in Illinois. He has had his own real estate appraising business since 1983.

Cathy Mikulski - Senior Deputy Assessor
Cathy has been with the Assessor's office since January 1996, and received her Certified Illinois Assessing Officer (CIAO) designation in December of 1998. Cathy and her husband, Bob, have resided in Bartlett since 1980.

Patty Glascott - Deputy Assessor
Patty has been with the Assessor's office since June 2002, part-time and became full time January 2004. Patty received her Certified Illinois Assessing Officer (CIAO) designation in November 2003. Patty and her husband, Patrick, have resided in Bartlett since 1978.

Margaret Deyne - Office Assistant
Margaret joined the Assessor’s office part time in April, 2007.  Margaret and her husband, Raymond have resided in Bartlett since 1977.

A Message from Your Township Assessor

In the true spirit of local government, the staff in the Hanover Township Assessor's Office should be your first level of support for questions regarding the Cook County property tax process. From billing to exemptions, our knowledgeable staff is prepared to provide answers to any questions or concerns you may have. We look forward to serving you.

Sincerely,
Thomas S. Smogolski, SRA, CIAO

Assessments and Property Taxes

Property taxes are the major revenue source for local schools, municipalities, police and fire agencies, street and other public works projects, townships, park systems, libraries, public health-and-safety programs and local economic development efforts. The assessed value of your property determines your share of those taxes.

Fixer-upper or home of your dreams, the staff at the Hanover Township Assessor's Office understands the burden of property taxes and wants to insure that you receive all the tax relief to which you are entitled.

Exemption

To lessen the burden on taxpayers, Cook County has initiated several exemption programs for qualifying residents.
 

Homeowner's Exemption taxpayers can save as much as $500 a year in property taxes by reducing the homes taxable value by $5,000. Qualifying for the exemption requires that the property served as the taxpayer's primary residence for that tax year.
If you have moved to a newly built or constructed home after January 1st of the tax year in question, you may be eligible for a partial Homeowner Exemption

Senior Citizen's Exemption allows for a further reduction in the homes equalized assessed value of $3,500, for combined savings of approximately $750. To qualify, a taxpayer must be 65 years of age and the home must serve as a primary residence.

Senior Citizen Assessment Freeze Exemption allows qualified senior citizens to apply for a freeze of the equalized assessed value (EAV) of their property for the year preceding the year in which the applicant first qualifies and applies for this exemption. This exemption is income based and the amount of your total gross household income should be no more than $50,000 for the tax year prior to the year your filing for.  A house hold income amount of:
                  $45,000 of less receives a 100% exemption benefit.
                  $45,001-$46,250 receives 80% exemption benefit.
                  $46,251-$47,500 receives 60% exemption benefit.
                  $47,501-$48,750 receives 40% exemption benefit.
                  $47,751-$50,000 receives 20% exemption benefit.

Home Improvement Exemption allows homeowners to make up to $75,000 worth of improvements to their property without having the assessed value of the improvement increased for at last four years for tax purposes.

Homeowners will automatically receive the exemption after applying for the local building permit through their city/village. We process the permit and notify the Cook County Assessor which monitors and field checks property.

When to File an Appeal

In Cook County, a general reassessment is conducted every three years to comply with Illinois law. With 1.6 million parcels in Cook County, it is understandable that a small percentage of individual properties may not be accurately assessed. If you believe your proposed assessed valuation to be too high, or the description of your property to be inaccurate, you may correct this by filing an appeal with the Assessor's Office at the designated time for Hanover Township.

What Can You Do About High Property Taxes?

Property tax increases are directly related to the amount of money your local government requests for spending. Taxpayers have a voice in matters related to governmental spending through voting on local issues. It is important that taxpayers are aware of proposed increases in spending and realize the impact of such increases on their tax bill.

Property owners will only begin to see property tax relief when local government stops relying so heavily on the funds generated by property taxes.

If you are interested in helping curb government's over-reliance on property taxes, contact your state officials and voice your support of legislation which reduces dependence on property taxes with a dollar for dollar replacement of that revenue with a corresponding increase in state income tax.

How to Calculate a Tax Bill

Property taxes in Cook County are calculated using a somewhat complex and confusing formula. Below is a simplified example:

Estimated Market Value(per Cook County) County Assessment Level Assessed Valuation State Equalization Factor (changing yearly) Equalized Valuation (EAV) Homeowner's Exemption EAV After Exemptions Tax Rate (Total) (changes yearly) Total Taxes Payable

100,000    x 16% 16,000 x 2.5757 41,211   - 5,000 36,211     x 9% $3,258.99

Where do the Numbers Come From?

Estimated Market Value determined by the Cook County Assessor, uses a computer assisted technique called multiple regression. This technique creates a type of sales comparison average, a mathematical relationship between the value of your house and those of your neighbors.

Assessment Level is designated by Cook County and remains constant.

Assessed Valuation equals market value multiplied by the assessment level.

State Equalization Factor determined by the Illinois Department of Revenue each year to ensure an equal assessment among all 102 counties in the state.

Equalized Valuation is the assessed valuation multiplied by the equalization factor.

Tax Rate is a figure compiled by the Cook County Clerk and applied to the Equalized Assessed Valuation to determine the amount paid in property taxes. This number reflects requests from area taxing bodies to fund their operations.
 

Other Web sites and Phone Numbers That May be of Help:

Cook County Assessor's Office
312.443.7550
www.cookcountyassessor.com

Cook County Treasurer's Office
312.443.5100
www.cookcountytreasurer.com

Cook County Clerk's Office
312.603.5656
www.cookctyclerk.com