HILLSBORO, Ill. — Two local State Representatives are urging the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners to find a solution after some landowners saw a 1500% increase in their wooded acreage assessments.
"At the drop of a hat here they're going one year to the next with 1000% to 3000% increase in property taxes,” Rep. Blaine Wilhour (R-IL 110th) said.
Like many Montgomery County residents, State Rep. Blaine Wilhour admits he thought it was a mistake.
"It's prohibitive,” Wilhour said. “They're taxing people out of their rightfully owned property."
According to Montgomery Co. Assessor Kendra Niehaus the increase in assessments on wooded acreage is due to a 2007 state law that was never properly implemented, but according to a number of state representatives, that was never its intent.
"The intent was they were trying to keep ground from being cleared for farming to bring down the taxes,” Rep. Wayne Rosenthal (R-IL 108th) said. “This legislation would provide for ground to be put into conservation management plans or conservation stewardship plans."
Niehaus has stated that she would postpone the increase for any landowner making good faith effort to enter their property into one of those plans, but that's not sitting well with Wilhour.
"That's not a legitimate solution,” Wilhour said. “Private property rights is a foundational principle of our republic. We should not cede territory on this."
A change is unlikely to come from a state level.
“I don’t think it will ever be repealed, but it could be amended,” Rosenthal said.
"The locals need to know that state government is not going to come in and save you on this,” Wilhour said.
Both Wilhour and Rosenthal believe Montgomery County leaders should use discretion to find a fix.
"It needs to be looked at and say what's fair,” Rosenthal said. “In this case, raising them that high, it's not fair."
"There's counties all over the state that are doing this differently,” Wilhour said. “Montgomery County can do the same."