Politics & Government
Poll: Was the County Right to Freeze Its Tax Levy?
The tax rate will still increase, but county board members took the relatively unusual step of not increasing their tax levy as much as the tax cap allows.
Tax levies and the tax-cap law can be a little confusing, but the Kendall County Board made an unusual decision Monday that will save the owner of a $200,000 home about $9.50.
County board members adopted a budget that predicts the county will request about $419,000 less in property taxes than tax-cap laws allow and spend down the county's general fund balance so the county has just less than six months of operating expenses in savings.
Overall, the county plans to spend about $23 million in its general fund, which will have a $1.23 million deficit, according to The Beacon-News. The deficit will be covered by the $13 million fund balance, The Beacon-News reported.
Find out what's happening in Yorkvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
If the county had decided to levy as much as it legally could under the tax cap law, the general fund deficit would be $836,000, according to The Beacon-News.
County board members took multiple votes before agreeing on the budget with the lower levy. (They still have to formally adopt the levy later.) As they were discussing a failed vote, District 1 board member Bob Davidson encouraged them to take a chance with the lower levy.
Find out what's happening in Yorkvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“What are we talking about here?" Davidson said. "We’re supposed to be representing the taxpayer, not everyone else.”
But District 1 board member Anne Vickery responded that being fiscally responsible was representing the taxpayer.
“I don’t think the taxpayers would complain about $9, but you let some of those services slide and you’ll hear from the taxpayers," Vickery said.
For his part, board chairman John Purcell, who is from District 1, said the plan did not affect county services now.
“The only thing that was cut was the projected fund balance," Purcell said. "I would agree with you there, there’s nothing in there that cheats the taxpayer. We’re just helping them out.”
But District 1 board member Suzanne Petrella did not want to see the county's savings dip below the amount needed to cover 6 months of expenses in the general fund.
“It’s not going to make or break foreclosures or short sales," she said. "It’s $9.”
The budget passed, 7-3, with District 1 board members Dan Koukol and Petrella and District 2 board member Anne Vickery voting against it.
