The property assessment equalization factor, often called the "multiplier", is the method used to achieve uniform property assessments among counties, as required by law.  This equalization is particularly important because some of the state's 6,600 local taxing districts overlap into two or more counties (e.g. school districts, junior college districts, fire protection districts).  If there were no equalization among counties, substantial inequities among taxpayers with comparable properties would result.

State law requires property in Illinois to be assessed at one-third (1/3) of its market value.  Farm property is assessed differently, with farm homesites and dwellings subject to regular assessing and equalization procedures, but with farmland and farm buildings assessed according to standards based on productivity.

The equalization factor is determined annually for each county by comparing the sales price of individual properties sold over the past three years to the assessed value placed on those properties by the county supervisor of assessments/county assessor.

If this three-year average level of assessment is one-third of market value, the equalization factor will be one (1).  If the average level of assessment is greater than one-third of market value, the equalization factor will be less than one (1).  And if the average level of assessment is less than one-third of market value, the equalization factor will be greater than one (1).

Assessments in Rock Island County are at 33.13 percent of market value, based on sales of properties in 2012, 2013, and 2014.

The equalization factor currently being assigned is for 2015 taxes, payable in 2016.

Last year's equalization factor for the county was 1.000.

The tentative factor is subject to change (1) if the County Board of Review takes actions which significantly affect the county assessments or (2) if local officials or others can present data showing that the Department of Revenue's estimates of the average level of assessments in the county should be adjusted.  A public hearing on the tentative multiplier will be held between 20 and 30 days after the tentative factor is published in a newspaper of general circulation within the county.

A change in the equalization factor does not mean total property tax bills will increase or decrease.  Tax bills are determined by local taxing bodies when they request money each year to provide services to local citizens.  If the amount requested by local taxing districts is not greater than the amount received in the previous year, then total property taxes will not increase even if assessments may have increased.

The assessed value of an individual property determines what portion of the tax burden a specific taxpayer will assume.  That individual's portion of tax responsibility is not changed by the multiplier.

-30-

MRA - The Management Association, 3800 Avenue of the Cities, Suite 100 in Moline, Illinois has several training events planned in November & December 2015.

October 30: 8 AM - 4 PM, Customer Service Excellence Series: Enhance Your Customer Connection. This program will provide opportunities for participants to put themselves in the shoes of a customer. You will uncover the four most important things that customers want from service professionals and how to apply them in order to communicate more effectively, both verbally and nonverbally, with internal and external customers. Cost is MRA members: $160 Nonmembers: $205. (Pricing is also available if you sign up for the entire 3 session series).

November 4, 2015: 8 AM - 4 PM, Supervisor and the Law. A 'must' for all managers and supervisors. One of MRA's most popular seminars. Are your managers and supervisors up-to-date on the latest FMLA and ADA changes? Do your managers and supervisors understand their role as legal agents of the organization? Are they aware of how they can easily violate fair employment laws, even though they would never intentionally discriminate? Are they able to recognize situations which may pose a legal risk to the organization and respond appropriately? This program educates the people with the greatest opportunity to prevent discrimination and harassment in your workplace.

November 6: 8 AM - 4 PM, Customer Service Excellence Series: Understand Your Customer's Business. This program is about how to build customer relationships by understanding your customers' business and their viewpoint of what they need to be successful. This perspective helps you to provide more relevant and focused customer service based on the needs of their business and can set your organization apart from the pack. Cost is MRA members: $160 Nonmembers: $205. (Pricing is also available if you sign up for the entire 3 session series).

November 12 & 20: 8 AM - 4 PM, Principles of Leadership Excellence Series: Module 5 - Building Collaboration and Managing Conflict. The goal of the Principles of Leadership Excellence Certificate Series (PLX) is to provide you with opportunities to learn the skills, behaviors, and knowledge needed for effective, successful leadership.  Cost is MRA Members: $495  Nonmembers:$655 (Pricing is also available if you sign up for the entire 6 module series).

November 13: 8 AM - 4 PM, Customer Service Excellence Series: Creative Customer Problem Solving. In this session, participants will learn effective ways to provide other options to customers and develop problem-solving skills that get at the root of the situation or issue, even when you can't give them exactly what they want. You will also learn the importance of active listening and the positive effects it can have on conversations with customers. Cost is MRA members: $160 Nonmembers: $205. (Pricing is also available if you sign up for the entire 3 session series).

December 1 & 2: 8 AM - 4 PM, Affirmative Action Plan Workshop.  During this workshop, participants will receive the tools needed to write a federally-sound affirmative action plan from start to finish, including the preparation of all critical statistical analysis.  Cost is MRA Members: $460 Nonmembers: $665.

December 3: 8 AM - 4 PM, Principles of Leadership Excellence Series: Module 6 - Leading Change and Putting it All Together. The goal of the Principles of Leadership Excellence Certificate Series (PLX) is to provide you with opportunities to learn the skills, behaviors, and knowledge needed for effective, successful leadership.  Cost is MRA Members: $495  Nonmembers:$655 (Pricing is also available if you sign up for the entire 6 module series).

December 8: 8 AM - 4 PM, Time Management. Learn time management techniques that get to the heart of reducing pressure levels, maintaining harmony, and increasing productivity. Explore how to use different technologies as time management tools. Conquer and identify the critical time wasters (interruptions, failure to delegate, meetings, procrastination, paperwork, e-mail, and voice mail) that take you from your priorities. You will better manage priorities and meet deadlines as you learn habit-changing thought processes which assist in your time management skills. Cost is MRA Members: $250 Nonmembers: $340.

To register for any of these courses, or for more details, contact Kathy Riley at 309.277.4186 or at Kathy.riley@mranet.org.  You can also find training information on our website at www.mranet.org/Training-Events.

About MRA-The Management Association
Founded in 1901, MRA-The Management is a not-for-profit employer association that serves more than 4,000 employers throughout the Midwest, covering 800,000+ employees. As one of the largest employer associations in the nation, MRA helps its member organizations thrive by creating powerful teams and safe, successful workplaces. MRA conducts more than 2,000 learning events each year. Members of MRA also receive access to expert guidance, best practices, professionally facilitated roundtables, essential tools, and dozens of business services in the areas of human resources and training. MRA is headquartered in Waukesha, WI, and has regional offices in Palatine, IL; Moline, IL; and Plymouth, M. To learn more and to become a member of MRA, visit www.mranet.org.

Congratulations to Nikhil Wagher and Hannah Laufenberg who took 1st place in their age group for their 3D 3R sculpture titled, Refunction, Dysfunction! They created a prosthetic arm holding hands with a real arm to exhibit the importance and growing advances in prosthetics that help people who have lost limb function in their daily lives. They repurposed over 20 different materials including items such as copper sheeting, cardboard, aluminum cans, old keys and hair curlers.

Congratulations to Laylon Baucom! His team's sculpture titled, Not Half Bad, took 1st place in their age group for their 3D 3R sculpture. Not Half Bad was created using items such as milk cartons, egg cartons, soda bottles, toothbrushes, and junk food adds. Students juxtaposed the positive impacts of a healthy lifestyle and the negative impacts of an unhealthy lifestyle.

Students had 2 hours to create a sculpture out of repurposed, recycled, re-useable materials following the theme "Technology for Health". This event took place at the Figge Art Museum on Saturday, October 17th and was organized by Global Awareness Citizens.

All of the students' sculptures will be on exhibit at Bucktown Center for the Arts, 225 E. 2nd Street, Suite 102 & 104, Davenport, Iowa 52801 at the Bereskin Fine Art Gallery & Studio.

Great collaborative efforts and fun at the Figge!

Visit www.RivermontCollegiate.org

In the Music Room at the Muscatine Art Center

Thursday, November 5, 2015 from 5:30-6:30 p.m.

FREE ADMISSION

Historian Tom Rasmussen and author Judith Healy will present "The Weyerhaeusers and the Mussers," explaining the important relationship between Peter Musser and Frederick Weyerhaeuser both as partners in the lumber business and good friends. The program, held on Thursday, November 5^th at 5:30 p.m. in the Art Center's Music Room, is free and open to the public.

Tom Rasmussen is the great-great grandson of Sarah and Frederick Weyerhaeuser and has completed extensive personal research on the Weyerhaeuser family and Judith Healy is the author of the book, Frederick Weyerhaeuser and the American West (2013). Using amazing photographs of bygone days, of forests and villages and family celebrations, Rasmussen and Healy will present the story of these two self-made timbermen both of whom were as much family men as business men.

The history of Frederick Weyerhaeuser is also the history of the settling of the Midwest. A towering figure of the later decades of the 1800s, Frederick Weyerhaeuser made his fortune by founding and growing a timber business that depended on the mighty Mississippi. Although he made his home in Rock Island, his business affected the Iowa side of the border as much as the Illinois side, and all was fed by the timber his men took out of the Wisconsin forests.

In the book, Frederick Weyerhaeuser and the American West, Judith Healey presents Weyerhaeuser as a successful businessman and family man. With only six years of formal schooling himself, Weyerhaeuser sent his children to eastern colleges, and in his later years, became a philanthropist who generously supported projects locally and in his native German village.

Peter Musser was one of Muscatine's leading citizens. Born in Pennsylvania of Swiss and English parentage, his connection with the Iowa lumber trade began in the early 1870s. Musser was head of a saw mill which produced 40 million feet of lumber annually. He was also a large holder of Minnesota and Wisconsin timber lands and an active logging trader. Throughout the northwest, he was known for his farsighted business judgment.

In his northern ventures, Peter Musser was an associate of Frederick Weyerhaeuser, whose pioneer enterprise in timber tracts along the upper Mississippi and its tributaries made him nationally known as "Lumber King of the Northwest." Musser and Weyerhaeuser jointly located their two sons - Drew Musser and Charles Weyerhaeuser - in Little Falls, Minnesota to run a lumber operation. The two sons built mansion side-by-side - today, both homes are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Weyerhaeuser mansion is open as the Linden Hill Historic Museum.

The program on November 5^th is free and open to the public. Reservations are not required. Please contact Melanie Alexander, Director, with any questions or concerns at 563-263-8282 or by email at malexander@muscatineiowa.gov.

The Muscatine Art Center is located at 1314 Mulberry Avenue in Muscatine, Iowa. Hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Thursday evenings until 7:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free. Donations are appreciated. Visit www.muscatineartcenter.org for more information about programs and events and to download a class brochure.