News from the Assessor's Office

New ... The Lake County Board of Review has implemented a new preliminary review process that may allow some property owners to settle their propertyassessment appeals without having to go to a hearing. Read about it here.

Questions about tax rates, levies, taxing bodies, or tax bills? Here is some information that may help.

An alert for "Snowbirds": Married couples who own a home in Illinois as well as another state are not eligible to receive the General and Senior Homestead Exemptions in both states. In some states the penalties for doing this can be very high. Please call the Shields Township Assessor's office at 847-234-3485 if you have questions about this matter.

Theresia M. Yakes, the elected Shields Township Assessor, has served Shields Township since 1987. She holds a BA from Barat College, where her studies included demographics, statistics, economics, and accounting. She has over 500 hours of continuing education credits in the field of assessments.

Ms. Yakes served three terms on the Board of the Illinois Property Tax Assessment Institute, serving one year as Board Chair. She is currently President of the Lake County Township Assessors Association and has served in that position twice in the past as well. Ms.Yakes is respected by her peers; in 2000, her fellow Illinois assessors gave her the Marshall Theroux Memorial leadership and distinguished achievement award. She is also past president of the Lake Forest/Lake Bluff Rotary Club.

Assessor's Staff

Chief Deputy Assessor Kelly Ugaste has been with the Shields Township Assessor’s Office since 1989. She has over 500 hours of continuing education and holds the Certified Illinois Assessment Officer - Intermediate (CIAO-I) designation.

Deputy Assessor Jill Landry has been with the Shields Township Assessor’s Office since 1992. She has over 250 hours of continuing education in assessments and holds the CIAO-I designation.

Terry Huber has been with the Shields Township Assessor's Office since 2007. She has received her CIAO designation.

Your Township Assessor’s Office, under the leadership of Shields Township Assessor Theresia M. Yakes, uses statistical formulas to determine the value of properties in the Township. Other taxing bodies, including the public schools, the county, the park district, the city, the village, and others, then use those values in cooperation with the Lake County Treasurer to collect property taxes.

The Assessor uses the same methodology as single-property appraisers. Cost, market, and income are used to develop the most accurate analysis of a property. The Assessor is also required to use statistical verification of the values that are developed to create uniformity across the entire Township. This ensures that all properties are assessed in the same fashion, so that the tax burden is apportioned in a fair and equitable manner.

property tax information

For a chart showing the budget and tax levy cycle and the assessment and tax bill process, click here.

Assessment information, listed by property index number (PIN) or by address, can be found on the Lake County Chief County Assessment Office website.

If you have any questions, please phone the Assessor’s Office at 847-234-3485 or contact the Assessor at tyakes@shieldstownship.com

Property Tax Relief

Under Illinois law, several programs are available to provide property tax relief. These include The Illinois Homestead Exemption Program, Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral Program, Senior Citizens Circuit Breaker Grants, the Disabled Veterans Exemption, and others. For information on these programs, definitions of terms and the most frequently asked questions, see the Lake County Assessor's Office website.

Additional Information on the Assessment Process

Click here to read the Assessor's newsletter from Summer 2009.