Property assessment challenges drop to pre-recession low in Rockford

ROCKFORD — Every year, home and business owners across the county argue that their properties aren't worth as much as assessors say they are.

Yet as property values increased for the first time in eight years, Winnebago County saw the fewest assessment challenges in nearly a decade. Even so, there are still disputes over property values that could affect your property tax bill. That's because each time a large reduction is granted — and this year there were fi ve businesses that wanted their values cut by more than $1million — the rest of the taxpayers make up the difference with higher rates.

For the 2016 tax season, 2,108 property owners challenged their assessments, the fewest challenges since 2007, when there were 1,996. Winnebago County Supervisor of AssessmentsTom Walsh said the decline occurred partly because 2015 was a general assessment year, meaning assessors evaluated all property and made more individual changes based on deeper neighborhood-by-neighborhood analyses of property values.

Although thousands of homeowners protest assessments, it’s businesses that have the biggest potential to dent the tax base. The 10 largest reduction requests account for $17.5 million of this year’s $43 million in reduction requests. That means more than 40 percent of the value that could be reduced comes from just 10 businesses.

Those requests are heard by the Winnebago County Board of Review, starting with those seeking a reduction of $100,000 or more. This year the board heard 150 cases in which the requested reduction was at least $100,000 — a total of nearly $26 million.

Every time a reduction is granted, the rate used to calculate property taxes for the county goes up. That means that if a large amount of money isn’t being paid by a big business, it is being split up among, and paid for, by homeowners and other property owners.

Gary Anderson, of Gary W. Anderson and Associates Architects, said the value at whichWinnebago properties are assessed is already too low, and that comparable properties in other cities are sometimes valued at double what Rockford’s are.

“If you grant one, you create a domino effect,” Anderson said. “Low values transcend into the marketplace, and that’s just not a healthy economy.”

The three-member board analyzes housing-value data and listens to arguments from the county and the businesses. If the board determines that the assessed value is correct and issues no reduction, the company can appeal to the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board.

Of the 10 largest challenges for 2016, eight businesses are in the appeals process at the state level for requested 2015 reductions and three for 2014 reductions. If any of those appeals are granted, the county will have to pay back each business based on the size of the reduction, driving up the tax rate.

“When they appeal to the state level the tax base is diminished and the tax rate increases for everyone else,” Walsh said. “So small property owners will pay at a higher rate than they should if those unfair reductions are granted. If property owners pay a few dollars more, that is significant and we don’t think anyone should pay an unfair amount.”

But how many reductions would have to be granted for you to see an increase on your tax bill? Just one.

In 2010, Mondelez received a $1.6 million reduction to the assessed value of its gum factory onForest Hills Road. According to information from the Winnebago County Clerk’s office, if that same reduction were granted today using the 2015 tax rate — the 2016 rate has yet to be determined — the owner of a $100,000 home would pay an additional $21.42 in property taxes. If all 150 of this year’s requested reductions of $100,000 or more were granted, that number would increase to $76.06 for the same house, again, using the 2015 tax rate for TaxCode 1, the code that determines the rate for most property owners in the city of Rockford.

Atop the list of 2016 challengers was Beloit Health System, owner of NorthPointe WellnessCenter, which sought a nearly $7.4 million reduction in the assessed value of its property. The assessed value is one-third of the fair market value of a property, and North Pointe’s request accounts for a 66 percent reduction of its assessed value of $11.1 million. However, the healthcare company reached a settlement for a nearly $2.4 million reduction in its assessed value.

New to the top 10 this year were LDK Leasing and Harrison Street Investors. LDK leasing owns TH Foods, which sought a $5.3 million reduction in its assessed value, while the Harrison Street property, which houses Larson & Darby, requested a nearly $8 million reduction.

—Kayli Plotner: 815-987-1391; kplotner@rrstar.com; @kayplot

On Valentine’s Day, and everyday, one Rockford man owes his heart to a stranger

ROCKFORD — Rick Olson carries a laminated photo of a woman he has never met in his wallet. His wife of nearly 52 years doesn't mind because in his chest Olson carries that young woman's heart.

Valentine's Day is also National Donor Day, but Olson is happy to tell the story of his new heart any day of the year.

Olson, 70, of Rockford was walking his dog in November 2011 when a major heart attack left him lying on the sidewalk, and the left side of his heart 90 percent idle. Originally under the impression it was just a few bruises, a week later he was transported to UW Health in Madison,Wisconsin, and prepped for surgery.

"At that particular time, they had called my family in because it was a bad heart attack and they didn't think I would make it to Madison," he said.

Three days later Olson received a left ventricular assist device. It's a battery-operated pump that helps the left ventricle, the main pumping part of the heart, get blood to the rest of the body.

The pump would keep Olson alive until a donor heart came along.

"It's like having a computer strapped on our waist," he said. "But it kept my heart alive."

A year later the hospital called and asked Olson and his wife, Joyce, to get to Madison as quickly as possible. A car accident had taken the life of a young woman, Amy, and she was a registered donor. Her heart was a match. Medical privacy laws prevented the hospital from telling Olson any more about the donor for three years.

“When you sit back and think of that family that had to lose somebody in order for a heart to be available, my heart just aches for them,” Joyce said. “This entire experience just makes you so grateful. Every day I wake up and I thank God for another day with him.”

Rick was just one of the people who benefited from Amy’s donations. Her vital organs, as well ask skin tissue were donated. According to the American Transplant Foundation, one organ donor can save the lives of up to eight people, and with eye and tissue donation, enhance the lives of 100 people.

“Organ donation is so important,” said Therese Michels, communications manager for Gift ofHope, an organ and tissue donor network for northern Illinois. “In Illinois alone there are nearly 5,000 people waiting for an organ transplant. We have so many people on the waiting list because there is always a need.”

Rick got a phone call from Amy’s husband when the medical privacy restriction expired. He invited Rick and Joyce to Madison for the Capital City 5K run, which raises money and awareness for organ, tissue and eye donation, and allows recipients to run or walk with their donor’s family members.

“I walked it, I wasn’t ready to run it,” Rick said. “But he showed us a lot of pictures of them, and we learned about her. He said he was just glad part of her lived on.”

Today, Rick is in perfect health and spends most of his time volunteering at his church or children’s groups in the area, as well as spending time with his grandchildren.

“Wherever I go, I tell people this story,” he said. “The more people understand donations, it’s like, if you’ve got a good organ, why not? It’s not like you can just go out and find a heart any day of the week.”

— Kayli Plotner: 815-987-1391; kplotner@rrstar.com; @kayplot

Loves Park mayor Darryl Lindberg retires after 50 years of public service

LOVES PARK — A former factory worker, Darryl Lindberg never planned for a career in public service. Four decades later, he says he couldn't have imagined doing anything else.

Sunday will mark the end of 50 years of public service for the outgoing mayor, who served as a volunteer fire fighter, police officer and police chief for 18 years before being elected mayor ofLoves Park in 1997.

Lindberg coasted to re-election four times, and was challenged only once. Spats between council members and controversy were seldom seen during his tenure. The City with a Heart rarely had moments to raise one's blood pressure, but behind the scenes Lindberg had plenty of financial strife to wrestle with during the Great Recession. The city dealt with growing pension obligations it couldn't meet, and watched as its cash reserves began to dwindle. Enter, the utility tax — one of the mayor's most controversial decisions and one of only two instances in which he had to cast a tie breaking vote.

The utility tax on gas and electric usage was approved in 2010. Then, in 2014, the city approved a 1 percent sales tax for road and infrastructure improvements. These were painful decisions, but Lindberg backed them because he believed they were the only way for the city to continue to stay afloat without a property tax, which Loves Park has operated without since1978.

Looking back on his tenure as mayor, Lindberg had only one question: "Where did 20 years go?"

Early years

Lindberg, a Rockford native, graduated from East High School in 1963 and took a job at the Camcar factory before becoming a production control man at Barber-Coleman. He marriedCecilia Shatswell, of Loves Park, in 1965. They had two children: Steven and Karissa.Lindberg was a young newlywed with a good job when he decided to do something a little more exciting with his spare time. In 1967, he became a volunteer fire fighter.

"There was just something about the camaraderie," he said. "I used to get, not happy, but pretty excited when the alarm went off."

Over the years, those relationships grew outside the fi re department and into the police force. In1972, Lindberg was offered a job as a part-time police officer. With the idea of a promising retirement plan and the ability to work outdoors interacting with the community, Lindberg quit his job at Barber-Coleman and joined the police force full time in 1975. A patrolman for two years, Lindberg was later made a detective, one of only two on the force.

"There were very difficult times," Lindberg said. "Homicides were few and far between, but they did occur. I worked a lot of child abuse cases, and those were tough, you know, because I had young kids."

The toughest challenge came for Lindberg when he was off the clock. In 1976, his wife was killed by a drunken driver in a crash that injured his son, who recovered quickly, and severely injured his daughter, who spent weeks in the hospital.

Lindberg's parents moved in to help with the children, while his fellow police officers helped pick up the slack at work, allowing Lindberg to be available to help his daughter make a full recovery. A few years later Lindberg met Judy Wagner. The two will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary next year.

Lindberg said his wife made sure the stress of police work didn't turn into stress at home.

"A lot of times when I was working nights, or I'd get called out in the middle of the night, I tried not to let it affect our family relationship," he said. "I think (Judy) worked hard to make sure the kids knew and understood that."

Just five months after the two were married, the police chief was let go, and the young detective threw his hat in the ring for the job.

"I met with Mayor (Joe) Sinkiawic, and said, I'm going to apply for the job," Lindberg said."And I said, if you give me a chance, I know I'm young but give me a chance. In six months, if you think that I'm not the guy, there's no hard feelings. I'll go back to being a detective and enjoy my career."

Lindberg was appointed acting police chief in July 1978 and sworn in to officially hold the job the following September.

Darryl Lindberg, 1980 [RRSTAR.COM FILE PHOTO]

From policeman to politician

As police chief, Lindberg oversaw the computerization of the department and creation of theK-9 unit and launch of the DARE program, which he enjoyed as a chance to interact with the community. Lindberg's relationship with Sinkiawic grew stronger over time.

"He didn't micromanage me, but I would come over and see him periodically," Lindberg said."I was very lucky because I think he trusted me."

Sinkiawic ultimately would trust Lindberg with running the city. With Sinkiawic's endorsement, Lindberg ran for mayor in 1997 against alderman Tiry Smith, also a longtime Sinkiawic friend.

"He was in a bit of a bind at the time because the person that ran against me was an alderman, so that caused a bit of a rift, which I felt terrible about," Lindberg said. "But I was very grateful for his support."

Lindberg enjoyed smooth sailing during his first two terms, but the city was not immune to the Great Recession. In order to survive, the city curtailed spending, lessened its contributions to the police pension fund and lived off of its cash reserves. The city also took out a $1 million line of credit with a local bank in case of an emergency.

"In one way it was a good thing because it forced us to look inward and make sure that we were making best use of our employees," he said.

With no property tax, the city instituted a 5 percent utility tax in 2010 in order to create a revenue stream — a move Lindberg said was tough, but a lifesaver. Going into City Council that night Lindberg had no idea he would cast the tie breaking vote.

"It was a little disappointing to me because I thought I had the votes, and nobody had said anything against it," he said. "Lo and behold, five of the alderman voted no."

"So I voted for it, which is never a popular thing to do when you're mayor, to vote for a tax.But I did because I knew it was critical."

The only other time in Lindberg's 20-year tenure as mayor that he had to break a tie involved a prank orchestrated by his council.

Each year, the City Council votes to allow a truck containing fresh seafood to set up on NorthSecond Street. Knowing about Lindberg's shell fish allergy, his council set up a tie vote.

"So here comes the vote; I'm just sitting there running the meeting. And I'm like, did I miss something? The guy's just selling lobster," Lindberg said. "It was kind of funny; we all laughed, I voted yes for it."

I'm proud to say we just don't have a lot of controversy out here. That's how you get things done.

Mayor Darryl Lindberg

Throughout his tenure Lindberg has dealt with a variety of alderman, most of whom he says he maintains good relationships with even in the midst of any disagreements. He credits the city's progress to open, two-way communication.

"I'm proud to say we just don't have a lot of controversy out here," he said. "That's how you get things done."

City Clerk Bob Burden, who was sworn in in 1997 along with Lindberg, said being a part of his team was an easy task because of the way Lindberg led.

"He set a tone with the employees that we all work together and we all got along," Burden said.

"He always seemed to know what to do. In any kind of crisis or serious problem, he was the calmest head in the room. He was the definition of a leader."

Looking ahead

As for a legacy, Lindberg isn't sure what his would be other than leaving the city in good shape.

"That's the best legacy that I could probably wish for," he said. "You always want to leave better than you came in."

On Sunday, Lindberg will pass the torch to former alderman Greg Jury.

"I've got some big shoes to fi ll," Jury said. "But he has developed such a great staff and made this transition so seamless for me. It's been great to learn from him."

In the coming months Lindberg and his wife will be traveling for leisure and to visit with their grandkids, three of whom are Texas. The other three live in Roscoe.

Judy will continue her job as a bookkeeper at Rock River Service Co., but in September the two will take a 12-day cruise to the coast of Italy. Until then, between occasional rounds of golf, Lindberg will be practicing a skill he lost since taking office.

"I start guitar lessons next week," he said. "Years and years ago I took guitar lessons, just for fun, and I forgot everything I learned. So that will be fun."

Kayli Plotner: 815-987-1391; kplotner@rrstar.com; @kayplot