Understand Your Property Assessment 
Get free, one-on-one assistance with evaluating your assessment at tax assessment help centers. These are listed on your blue assessment notice, too. Watch this video to learn more about the help centers.

Taxpayer advocates are also available from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Chief County Assessment Office, 18 N. County Street, 7th Floor, Waukegan.

Should You Appeal Your Property Assessment?
View the five steps to determining if you should appeal your property assessment.

Filing an Appeal? Use our Online System
Our quick and convenient Online Appeal Filing System allows you to get your appeal information to the Board of Review without the hassle of mailing or hand delivering them to the Chief County Assessment Office in Waukegan. Watch this video to learn more about the process to file an appeal online.

Protect your dog and family from ticks! Dogs love to roll around in the grass, jump in brush and walk in wooded areas – ALL places ticks may live. Watch this video to find out the proper way to check and remove ticks from you dog from Heidi Johnson, who works in Animal Care and Control for the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center.

If an emergency should occur, do you know how to protect your furry, scaly or feathered friends? In observance of National Pet Preparedness Month, this is a perfect opportunity to plan for your pet’s safety. Visit FEMA’s Pet and Animal Emergency Planning web page to find tips on making a pet emergency plan, preparing shelter, and tips for large animals.

One important way to keep your pet safe is to keep the vaccinations up to date. The Lake County Health Department provides pet vaccination clinics, a low-cost, convenient way to keep pet’s shots and rabies tags up to date. View upcoming clinic dates and cost.

Lake County will now get 25 percent of its electricity from “Green power” or electricity from renewable resources, such as solar, wind, and geothermal. This is an additional 20 percent from its previous electricity rate contract.  Green energy has proved to be environmentally preferable to electricity generated from conventional sources, including coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, on average, replacing each kilowatt-hour (kWh) of traditional power with renewable power avoids the emission of more than one pound of carbon dioxide, a key greenhouse gas. Lake County will purchase 9.98 million renewable energy kWH(h) under this contract, which is the equivalent of more than 15 million pounds of carbon dioxide. Lake County has received an Environmental Stewardship Certificate for its commitment to investing in green energy.

Individuals who struggle with substance abuse can get directed quickly to treatment through a pilot program called “A Way Out." The program is offered 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at participating police departments in Lake County. Individuals, who possess narcotics or paraphernalia, enter a participating police department and tell an officer they are requesting help will avoid criminal charges if the participant seeks assistance. Watch this video to learn more about the “A Way Out” program.

Forest Preserve News

Gateways Grants Open the Door for Schools 
As budgets shrink, field trips are increasingly out of reach for Lake County schools, especially in low-income communities. Since 1991, Gateways Grants have made field trips possible for tens of thousands of students. They benefit from “school” in outdoor and museum settings, where learning is experiential and profound. School districts with a low-income population of 40 percent or more are eligible. Gateways Grants cover program fees and provide a bus stipend. Donations fully fund this program. Our goal is to raise $5,000 in Gateways Grants by the start of the school year. Help make field trips possible.

Little Sprouts: Planting a Seed
Help plant the garden at Bonner Heritage Farm in Lindenhurst and sow seeds to take home. Join us down on the farm for fun and frolicking on select Wednesdays through October. Get to know families while kids enjoy stories, hands-on activities and crafts. Learn more

Eat Healthful Produce and Support Local Youth
Eat healthful produce and support local youth when you shop at the Green Youth Farm of Lake County market. The market is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays through Oct. 12. Purchase fresh and nutritious organic vegetables, herbs, honey, and more, grown in Greenbelt Forest Preserve in North Chicago by area students. Learn more

Summer is the time for picnics, warmer weather, and salespeople at your front door. Solicitors seeking door-to-door purchases or orders are required to comply with a County Board adopted ordinance when working in unincorporated Lake County.

Each solicitor must:

• Appear in person and register annually with the County Clerk’s office. Registration is free. View the Solicitor Registration Information and Application web page.
• Work only between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.
• Carry his/her own Certificate of Registration bearing the salesperson’s name, employer’s name, manufacturer’s name, type of business, and an embossed seal.
• Observe “No Solicitation” signs.
• Respect occupant’s request if asked to leave.

Residents should ask to see the vendor’s certificate and report any violations to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office at 847-549-5200 where fines and penalties can be enforced.

This ordinance applies only to unincorporated Lake County and provides exemptions for religious groups, candidates, and minors under age 18 who participate in fundraising activities. If you live within municipal or village borders, check with your local officials for your specific ordinances.