A half-page insert in the 200,000 Kane County property tax bills that went out May 1 has become something of a political hot seat for Treasurer Chris Lauzen.

Some complained that the insert looked like a political campaign piece for Lauzen’s bid for a second term in the Nov. 3 general election.

St. Charles resident Dimitra Rizzi fired off complaints to the Illinois State Board of Elections and the Kane County State’s Attorney’s office.

“When we got our bill, I thought it was some political thing and I was going to throw it away,” Rizzi said. “It was also the real estate tax bill. ... This, to me, is not OK.”

State law prohibits elected officials or their employees from engaging in political campaign activity during compensated time or using government property, such as telephones, copiers or computers.

In an email response, State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser wrote: “Our office has received the complaint. We do not have any further information to provide at this time, but we are looking into the matter.”

Lauzen’s insert includes his photo, a graph of the county’s cumulative interest earned for fiscal years 2021 to 2026, marked with a green line at fiscal year Nov. 30, 2022, which, it was stated, marked when “Lauzen Elected Treasurer.”

His campaign website contains a nearly identical graph – with the same colors, font and typeface, and the green line indicating when he was elected as treasurer. It includes the same message at the top about cumulative interest earned, but up to 2025.

In an email, Lauzen defended his use of the same chart for his office as for his campaign website.

“During this political season, it’s no surprise that hard partisans will make false claims,” Lauzen wrote.

Three residents also complained about the tax bill insert at the Kane County Executive Committee on May 6.

“Taxpayers should not be paying for Mr. Lauzen’s electioneering,” Geneva resident Vicki Davidson-Bell said.

St. Charles resident Ed Mundt said his wife thought it was a political ad and were going to throw it away.

“Most of my neighbors on my court thought it was a political ad,” Mundt said. “This handout provides misinformation and is a blatant political advertisement.”

Denise Theobald of Geneva said the insert “and messaging about cumulative investment earnings is presented in a way that implies he take credit for controlling or reducing taxes.”

“The treasurer does not set tax rates or tax levies or make any suggestion that a single office is responsible for holding the line on taxes,” Theobald said. “It’s inaccurate and misleading to taxpayers. It’s also notable that the same ‘hold the line’ language appears in candidate Lauzen’s campaign messaging.”

Lauzen has argued – including in the tax bill literature – that residents “can pay less property taxes” because banks are paying more interest to the county under his stewardship.

Lauzen made the same argument at a Kane County Board meeting Tuesday morning after Theobald also addressed the board to criticize the mailer. Lauzen said the county spent $20 million of its reserves in 2025 but that income from investments made through his office fully replenished those reserves.

In dismissing the criticism, Lauzen wrote the email to Shaw Local: “The Chart used has been used in the Treasurer’s Office for two tax seasons and in every Finance Committee report for approx. 28 months and the photo has been hanging in the public area of our Office for 30 months. I merely use public records/formats in my campaign literature for unquestionable accuracy. I make no statements that are not backed up by historical official facts.”

Lauzen also wrote: “Our entire tax bill, including the material on all four components contained in the bill, were reviewed and passed by the Kane County States Attorney’s Office.”

However, Mosser replied in an email that her office “does not ‘pass’ or approve tax bills.”

Although Lauzen did request a legal review of items contained in the property tax mailings, Mosser wrote that her office “did not review or receive the half-sheet insert with the graph or the document titled, ‘Your Tax Bill Explained A-Z.’”

In a follow-up email, Lauzen wrote that he “may have misunderstood the extent” of the State’s Attorney’s “review and advice on components of the tax bill.”

Lauzen, a Republican, is running for reelection on Nov. 3. His Democratic opponent, Kane County Auditor Penny Wegman, declined to comment.