LaSalle County chairman appoints Abby L. Craft interim supervisor of assessments; panel members object to process

LaSalle County Board Chairman moved to appoint Abby L. Craft as interim supervisor of assessments effective immediately under a resolution approved Aug. 4, 2025, with the board citing 35 ILCS 200/3-10 and limiting an acting supervisor to no more than 60 days.

The appointment matters because state law (35 ILCS 200/3-10) allows a county board to appoint an acting supervisor of assessments for up to 60 days while a permanent, qualified person is chosen. The committee’s debate focused on whether the board chair had bypassed the usual subcommittee process, and on practical questions about compensation, start date and how the permanent hire will be finalized.

Chairman Don Jensen presented the resolution saying the chief county assessment officer, Stephanie Kennedy, was retiring effective Aug. 8 and recommending Abby L. Craft as interim supervisor “for a period of time no longer than 60 days and/or until a permanent replacement chief county assessment officer is appointed and approved by this board.” The committee voted to approve the resolution; members responded with a mix of support for a short interim period and concern that the hiring subcommittee had been excluded from the interviews and selection process.

Stephanie Kennedy, the outgoing chief county assessment officer, told the committee she had given “well over a year advance notice for me leaving, retiring” and said she was “very disappointed that I’ve had no one to train.” Kennedy said she supported the candidate the chairman had in mind but asked that the committee chair and another board member meet with the candidate before a final appointment and go to the full board together.

Several committee members, including Doug Traeger and others, asked whether interviews had been conducted; the chairman said interviews had been held and that four candidates had been interviewed. Committee members pressed whether any of the interviewed candidates could have been named interim and whether the interim appointee planned to apply for the permanent position. The chairman said the appointee had not applied for the permanent job and that the final appointment process remained under discussion.

Committee members asked whether Abby Craft would receive additional pay while serving as interim supervisor. The chairman said compensation had not been fixed and that the matter would be referred to the salary and labor committee to determine appropriate pay for the interim period. The resolution text and the committee discussion differ slightly on start timing: the resolution states the appointment is effective immediately upon passage, while board members discussed that, in practice, Craft’s start in the assessor’s office would likely be Aug. 11 or Aug. 14.

The chairman said he had consulted the county’s assistant state’s attorney about the appointment process and that, by statute, the county board chairperson has appointment authority for this office. Several members said the board’s rules should be clarified to show which appointments require a subcommittee so similar disputes do not recur. The chairman acknowledged he did not include all members of the hiring subcommittee and called that an oversight.

Action taken: the committee approved the resolution to appoint Abby L. Craft as interim supervisor of assessments for no longer than 60 days or until a permanent replacement is appointed and approved by the board. No roll-call vote tally was recorded in the transcript; the committee signified approval with “aye” and the chairman declared the motion carried.

The board directed that compensation for the interim period be considered by the salary and labor committee and said the county would continue interviews and discussions to identify a permanent supervisor. The statute cited in committee discussion was 35 ILCS 200/3-10, which sets the 60-day limit on an acting supervisor’s service. The committee did not set a final date for a permanent appointment.