Resident tells Knox County Board he was 'bamboozled' after reassessment; board hears regional growth update

During the public-comment period of the Dec. 22 meeting of the Knox County Board, resident and property owner Kevin Chryser told the board his development parcel had been reassessed far above the purchase price and urged the board for 'common sense' relief.

Chryser said he had introduced himself earlier to the clerk and identified himself during remarks as "the president of the Marmite Greens LLC." He told the board that in the last 12 years Knox County’s population had fallen and that Illinois had seen significant outmigration. He said his 10-acre parcel off Lincoln Park Drive had been purchased three years earlier for $150,000 and that the county had recently assessed the property’s fair cash value at $570,000. "We were bamboozled," Chryser said in his remarks, adding that he had hired an attorney and paid roughly $6,500 in fees to pursue an appeal through PTAB.

Chryser also raised broader figures about Illinois population loss cited in his research, and linked county affordability — specifically property taxes and cost of living — to outmigration.

After Chryser, Ken Springer addressed the board and noted regional growth and momentum, citing investments by local companies referenced in the board packet. Springer said KCAP will select projects in early 2026 for an advocacy trip to Washington, D.C., and asked the county to submit project ideas to be considered for federal advocacy.

The board did not take direct action on the property-assessment remarks during the meeting. Board members did not debate Chryser’s specific assessment figures on the floor; staff and packet materials were referenced elsewhere for official valuations and appeals procedures.