Jackson Co. Board Candidates Face Challenges

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By Fanna Haile-Selassie
By Ben Jeffords

Story Created: Feb 21, 2012 at 6:15 PM CDT

Story Updated: Feb 21, 2012 at 6:41 PM CDT

JACKSON COUNTY -- We're one month away from the Illinois primary, and News 3 has been profiling some of the local races. Now we look at the Jackson County Board, where all 14 seats are up for re-election this year.

In a county that has 14 board members, you would think it might be a little difficult to get anything done.

"You have sometimes 14 different opinions, but typically, any legislation is done by consensus with an occasional objection here and there," explains John Rendleman, Jackson County Board Vice-Chair.

Rendleman says a couple of subjects keep popping up every year that new members should be ready to deal with: taxes and spending.

"There are budget and finance issues, but we always struggle with and have to deal with trying to keep property taxes as low, as low as we can, not to increase them," he explains.

Right now, Jackson County residents on average pay about 8% of the assessed value of their home in property taxes. The board is facing an unusual situation this year, though, that will require hard decisions.

"Values are down. I can tell you about values," says Maureen Berkowitz, the county's Chief Assessment Officer. "They're down slightly in 2010 and down again slightly in 2011."

"Each year when we project a budget, we assume a particular level of valuation of the property," explains Rendleman. "Now this year, we assumed property at a certain level, and it turns out it's going to be worth about $6 million less than we had estimated."

That will create a budget shortfall and a problem for whoever makes up the new county board.

Out of the seven Jackson County districts that make up the board, only one has a contested primary on March 20th.

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