THE FOLLOWING IS A MATTHEW LONG RELEASE
I would like to announce my intent to run for the Vermilion County Recorder’s Office as a Republican candidate. The current office holder, David Stone, has announced he will not be seeking re-election in 2024. The primary for that election will be in held in April and the general election in November.
I am a Danville native and have served as the Vermilion County Supervisor of Assessments since December 1, 2010. In addition to holding the Certified Illinois Assessment Officer – Master (CIAO-M) Designation from the Illinois Property Assessment Institute, I am also an Illinois Licensed Certified General Appraiser and an Illinois Licensed Real Estate Managing Broker.
Since taking office I am proud of the work my office has accomplished. Using technology, training, and an increase in wages, we were able to reduce the number of staff from nine to seven. The most significant change was the implementation of the new tax and assessment software, DevNet. This change in software was not without issues, but I am thankful of the joint effort and hard work from the County Treasurer Darren Duncan and County Clerk Cathy Jenkins.
Between them and their staff, taxpayers are now receiving tax bills in May and have significantly more time to budget and pay real estate taxes and the taxing bodies are receiving distributions much earlier than in prior years. Another accomplishment has been updated aerial imagery. The imagery is free to the public and available on the county website. This has been beneficial to the public, property owners, real estate professionals and has assisted potential developers as well as law enforcement. Whereas prior flights were in black and white and included only the image from above, the new flights have been in color and include oblique images that show not only the rooftop but all four sides of a structure. This has aided township assessors in reassessing and has assisted in discovering new or modified buildings.
Before taking office, I did not realize the impact the Recorder’s Office had on the County Assessment Office. The deeds, plats, surveys, and transfer declarations that are put on record with the county must be processed in the assessment office. A break in title, incomplete transfer declarations, unrecorded subdivisions, and incomplete legal descriptions can and will have an impact on the ownership and title of land and can result in incomplete and misleading information that the Illinois Department of Revenue relies on in determining the sales ratio for the county. This can have a significant impact on local assessments and what taxpayers are billed.
Having worked with the Recorder’s Office over the last 12 years as well as my background in real estate over the last 24 years, I would like to utilize the knowledge I have to aid in the processing of recorded documents and ensure the most accurate and up to date information is provided, the Illinois Plat Act is adhered to, transfer declarations are completed accurately, and ownership information is updated in the county assessment records in a timelier manner.
As the voters of Vermilion County have entrusted me with the office of County Assessor for the last 12 years, it is my hope that they will entrust me with the position of Vermilion County Recorder.
