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County renews push for Property Tax Appeal Board hearings to be held locally or virtually
Summary
Lake County officials said they will pursue legislation to require PTAB (Property Tax Appeal Board) hearings be held nearer to taxpayers or via virtual options to reduce travel and expense for county witnesses and municipal staff.
Lake County assessment and administration staff told the Legislative Committee they will press again for statutory changes to the Property Tax Appeal Board (PTAB) hearing location rules so that hearings affecting Lake County properties are held locally or virtually. Bob Glucher, Lake County Chief County Assessment Officer, presented examples of recent PTAB cases where county appraisal and travel costs were substantial and said PTAB has been less cooperative on in‑county hearings since earlier discussions.
Why it matters: County staff said in‑person PTAB hearings currently require multiple county or local witnesses and expert appraisers to travel to the PTAB hearing location, creating transportation, lodging and staffing costs that are avoidable if hearings can be held closer to the property at issue or via virtual hearing. Staff said a prior tentative agreement with PTAB to grant more in‑county hearings had not been honored and that legislative reform is the preferred remedy.
Discussion vs. action: Committee members across parties expressed broad support for a legislative fix. Staff said they will revise previous draft language to broaden the request (learned from last year’s attempt) and will coordinate with CCAO (County Chief Assessment Officers) groups and other counties to refine the proposal.
Details: Staff provided a recent example of a municipal/industrial appeal where appraiser costs alone would have been about $9,500 if the county had not settled; committee members argued moving hearings locally or allowing virtual hearings would reduce public‑sector costs and burdens and urged staff to monitor PTAB’s administrative practices.
Ending: Committee consensus was to include the PTAB hearing location reform in the county’s legislative package and to coordinate with other counties and the state’s attorney’s office on legal and drafting issues.
