Rock Island Today

Rock Island 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 in the state overlap into more than one county.

State law requires that most properties in Illinois be assessed at one-third of their market value. Farm homesites and dwellings follow standard assessing and equalization procedures, while farmland and farm buildings are assessed based on productivity standards.

The annual determination of the equalization factor for each county is made by comparing the sales prices of individual properties over the past three years with their assessed values as determined by county officials. If the average level of assessment matches one-third of market value, the multiplier will be 1.0000. If assessments are higher or lower than this benchmark, the multiplier will adjust accordingly.

In Rock Island County, assessments were found to be at 33.43% of market value using sales data from 2022 through 2024. The new tentative multiplier applies to taxes for 2025 payable in 2026. Last year’s multiplier for Rock Island County was also set at 1.0000.

The tentative factor could change if significant actions are taken by the County Board of Review or if additional data is presented that would warrant an adjustment by IDOR. A public hearing regarding the proposed multiplier will occur between 20 and 30 days after its publication in a local newspaper.

According to IDOR: "A change in the equalization factor does not mean total property tax bills will increase or decrease. Tax bills are determined by local taxing bodies when they request money each year to provide services to local citizens. If the amount requested by local taxing districts is not greater than the amount received in the previous year, then total property taxes will not increase even if assessments may have increased."

Additionally: "The assessed value of an individual property determines what portion of the tax burden a specific taxpayer will assume. That individual's portion of tax responsibility is not changed by the multiplier."