Prairie State Wire

Kankakee County has received a tentative property assessment equalization factor of 1.0000, according to David Harris, director of the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR). The equalization factor, also known as the "multiplier," is used to ensure uniform property assessments among counties in Illinois. This process is important because many local taxing districts, such as school and fire protection districts, cross county lines.

State law requires that most property in Illinois be assessed at one-third of its market value. Farm properties are handled differently; while farm homesites and dwellings follow regular assessing procedures, farmland and farm buildings are assessed based on productivity standards.

The annual determination of the equalization factor for each county involves comparing sales prices from the past three years with the assessed values set by local officials. If a county's average assessment level matches one-third of market value, the multiplier is set at 1.0000. If it is higher or lower than this benchmark, the multiplier adjusts accordingly.

In Kankakee County, assessments currently stand at 33.15% of market value based on sales data from 2022 through 2024. The new tentative multiplier will apply to taxes for 2025 payable in 2026. Last year’s multiplier was also set at 1.0000.

The tentative factor could change if significant actions are taken by the County Board of Review or if new data is presented that suggests IDOR’s estimates should be revised. A public hearing will take place between 20 and 30 days after notice appears in a widely circulated local newspaper.

A change in the equalization factor does not directly affect total property tax bills; those amounts depend on what local taxing bodies request annually for their services. Individual tax responsibility is determined by a property's assessed value rather than changes in the multiplier itself.

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