Chief County Assessment Officer

The primary functions of the Chief County Assessment Officer (CCAO) include overseeing property assessments, ensuring fair taxation, and educating the public about assessment practices. The Chief County Assessment Officer is vital in ensuring that property values are assessed fairly, which directly affects local funding for schools and other taxing entities, infrastructure, and public services. By maintaining transparency and accuracy in property assessments, the CCAO helps foster trust within the community regarding tax obligations and government operations.

The CCAO’s office coordinates all property assessment activities in accordance with the Illinois Property Tax Code. Specifically, the Chief County Assessment Office has four areas of responsibility: approving exemption applications and auditing existing exemptions; validating and updating property ownership records; supporting the Board of Review; and the Geographic Information Services (GIS) Division, which supports Lake County’s land records system and facilitates enterprise-wide GIS.

The department includes 26 full-time employees and three Board of Review members. The staff is seasonally expanded with an additional 20+ contractors serving as Board of Review Alternate Hearing Officers.

The duties of the Supervisor of Assessment (Chief County Assessment Officer) are fixed by Illinois State statute and mandated by the Illinois property tax code. They include:

• Assembling township assessors for instruction on the assessment process;
• Preparing and maintaining tax maps and parcel ownership information;
• Receiving and analyzing township assessment rolls;
• Equalizing assessments within the county or any area therein;
• Applying various exemptions to homestead properties;
• Publishing the assessment roll for each township;
• Providing mailed notice to owners of property with revised assessments;
• Certifying assessment roll to the Board of Review;
• Reporting statistical abstracts to the Illinois Department of Revenue;
• Serving as Clerk of the Lake County Farmland Annual Review Committee; and
• Serving as Clerk of the Board of Review.

These duties are subject to change through the state legislative process.

• A working knowledge of the Illinois Property Tax Code, particularly those areas related to the requirements and procedures for preferential assessments and Board of Review complaints; and
• A working knowledge of the computer software used for the tracking of assessments and other administrative systems and applications; and
• Considerable independent judgment; and
• Exceptional communication skills, including the ability to present to large groups; and
• Supervisory and management skills.

Minimum Qualifications

The Illinois Property Tax Code specifies that to enter upon the duties of the office of Supervisor of Assessments (Chief County Assessment Officer), one must possess one of the following qualifications as certified by the individual to the County Clerk:

• A currently active Certified Illinois Assessing Officer designation from the Illinois Property Assessment Institute;
• A currently active AAS, CAE, or MAS designation from the International Association of Assessing Officers; or
• A currently active MAI, SREA, SRPA, SRA, or RM designation from the Appraisal Institute.

In addition, the Supervisor of Assessments (Chief County Assessment Officer) must have:

• At least 2 years’ experience in the field of property sales, assessments, finance, or appraisals; and
• Passed an examination conducted by the Illinois Department of Revenue to determine competence to hold the office.

These qualifications are subject to change through the state legislative process.

Term of Office

The term of office shall be 4 years from the date of appointment and until a successor is appointed and qualified. Outside employment while holding this position is prohibited.

Lake County offers a competitive salary and benefit package. We also offer flexible working hours and a comprehensive wellness and training program. Visit ourProspective Employeepage to get additional information on why you should work for Lake County!

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background screening and drug testing.

Lake County is committed to being a diverse and inclusive workplace and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer (EOE).