The Maine Township District 207 School Board voted to raise its tax levy by 6.78% next year during its Dec. 4 meeting.
Last year’s levy increase was 3.8%, but the cost of running the district has gone up due to inflation, said Assistant Superintendent for Business Mary Kalou. The staff recommended the property tax increase go up 6.78% to keep up with the costs of running the district.
According to the 2023-2024 budget approved by the board in September, expenses increased 8.4% compared to last year’s budget, as the costs of maintenance and salaries increased.
When a proposed tax levy is above 5%, Illinois’ Property Tax Extension Limitation Law requires taxing bodies to hold a truth in taxation hearing. District 207 did so before the vote to approve the levy to give residents a chance to comment on the matter. Michael Hendrix, a resident of Maine Township, said he objected to the increase in the levy. He said his property tax had risen significantly and other taxes, including income and sales tax, were too high.
“I object. I urge you to vote no,” he said.
It did not.
Despite the increase in taxes, Kalou said the district only saw an increase of 3.78% in new money.
“The best on existing property we are going to get for 2023 is 5%, if that,” Kalou said. “When we did the analysis of overall tax bills, School District 207 for the 2022 tax bill was among the lowest increases on that tax bill. We just represent a larger percentage of the tax bill,” she said.
Kalou explained later in an email, “The funds under the property tax cap in the levy increased by 6.13%. The 1.13% increase is based on the amount of new growth. The district had two TIF districts expire and after 23 years can access the property growth in those two areas. In addition, there are a few known property developments in the area. The funds not covered under the tax cap are increasing because the district abated $2.3 million last year in the debt service fund. No abatement is planned for the 2023 tax levy.”
According to the 2023-2024 budget, employees will receive salary increases from 4% to 7%. The cost of those raises was offset by savings in replacing 14 retiring or resigning teachers. The cost to employees for medical insurance is going up by 4%, and the district’s contribution to the Teachers’ Retirement System went up by 5%.
The district budgeted $2.7 million for the health, life and safety fund. Action items call for replacing portions of Maine South High School’s roof and applying a liquid coating to portions of the roof at Maine East High School and Maine West High School.
Maine East will replace its front entrance ramp, stairs, and chiller. Maine West will replace its stadium lights and grout its swimming pool. All of the schools will have their parking lots sealed and coated. The District budgeted $1.7 million for the operations and maintenance fund to take on those projects and is expected to have a surplus, according to the budget.
In a press release on its website, District 207 said that approximately 28% of revenue from a resident’s property tax bill goes to the high school district and that other recent jumps in property taxes are attributable to the latest reassessment in residential property taxes.
The northern suburbs also saw the highest increase in their property tax in 30 years, according to an analysis done by the Cook County Treasurer’s Office.
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