The property tax is a local tax, imposed by local government taxing districts, which include counties, townships, municipalities, school districts, special districts, etc. Property tax is administered by local officials.
The process of imposing the property tax has three distinct parts. First, a value must be placed on the property; that value is called an assessment. Next, the taxing district files a levy with the county clerk on the property situated within its boundaries. Finally, the county clerk calculates the tax rate that is required to produce the amount of the levy based on the assessed value of each property in the district so taxes can be billed.