BRIAN HAUSER

Brian Hauser is the 2nd Fairest Assessor in Illinois.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did you become the Oswego Township Assessor?
Dave Maher was our previous assessor starting his sixth term when he lost his very long and miraculous battle with brain cancer in 2018.  The Oswego Township board decided I was the most logical choice as his successor as I’d been with him in the office during his whole tenure as Assessor. 

What is the primary responsibility of township assessor?
According to The Township Officials Of Illinois Laws & Duties HANDBOOK (written by Oswego’s Keri-Lyn Krafthefer) p. 20: “The Office of Township Assessor is one of the most important and least understood of all township offices.  The Assessor does not assess taxes or property.  The Assessor does appraise property and place value on it, according to formulas set by the Illinois Department of Revenue.  It is from taxes levied according to these property values as appraised by the township assessor that all units of local government, including townships, receive their income.  Improper assessments (appraisals) made by untrained assessors result in loss of revenue to taxing bodies and unfair treatment to the taxpayer.”

Why do you feel you are best suited for the office of township assessor?
The last sentence above would be the most significant reason that I’m the best fit for Oswego Township Assessor: “Improper assessments (appraisals) made by untrained assessors result in loss of revenue to taxing bodies and unfair treatment to the taxpayer.”  Since graduating from ISU in 1991, I was a Certified Appraiser in Illinois from 1991-2003, a Licensed Realtor from 1995-Present, and involved with the assessment of new construction homes for the township in ’91-97 part time and an employee of the Assessor’s office from 1997-Present, and appointed as Assessor in July of 2018-Present.

Is it possible for township assessor to lower someone’s property tax?
Since property tax is Ad Volerum (according to value), if a person’s assessment is lowered more than the rest of the township’s assessments, their tax bill would likely go down, but not always.  This can be confusing because the tax bill is comprised by 2 parts, the assessment and the tax rate (not controlled by the Assessor).  So the result of lowering an assessment could cause a bill to go down, but not necessarily, because the tax rate may increase.

Can the township assessor encourage new businesses into Oswego Township?  If so, how?
I’m not aware of a means by which an Assessor can encourage new business to come to Oswego.  Oswego does have an Economic Development Commission that tries to encourage businesses to come to Oswego. 

What can someone do if they feel their property assessment is inaccurate or unfair?
The most important thing and first step is to call the assessor’s office to discuss the assessment.  Often times a simple 20 minute conversation will either help the property owner understand the assessment or help the assessor decide it might be inaccurate. Quite often this first phone call will satisfy most home owners. The second step would be to file an appeal with the Kendall County Board of Review (BOR).  We actually encourage people to do so and equip them with links to all the pertinent websites to help them as much as possible to file a successful appeal.  Often this gives me a good opportunity to recommend a change at the BOR, as I have to prepare a defense for the hearing.  If they still aren’t happy with their results, they can file with Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board (PTAB).