D-225 Sets Public Hearing For Proposed 4.2 Percent Levy Increase

GLENVIEW, IL — The Glenbrook High School District 225 board scheduled a public hearing for next month before it certifies its proposed property tax levy to be collected next year.

The levy request represents a 4.2 percent increase over last year's property tax revenue, not counting amounts required for debt service payments, according to a memo to the superintendent and board from Assistant Superintendent R.J. Gravel.

Gravel explained administrators came to that number by combining the 1.9 percent increase due to inflation with an estimate of 2.3 percent of new property growth since the previous levy was finalized.

"The estimated levy allows the district to meet annual expenses, as well as potential enrollment needs resulting from new property growth," Gravel said. "Over the next several weeks, members of our community will be able to review the estimated request and ask questions about its structure."

School districts in suburban Cook County must file their proposed tax levies with the clerk on or before the last Tuesday in December every year.

"Many factors contribute to how a property owner’s taxes are determined, so it’s important that taxpayers not equate the levy request percentage with an assumed percentage increase in their individual property taxes," Assistant Superintendent R.J. Gravel said in a statement released after the Nov. 12 meeting.

For instance, when the tax increment financing, or TIF, district at The Glen expires in 2022, district staff anticipate needing to increase the levy by about 15 percent to capture all the new property.

More:
Administrator Compensation Report for 2018-19
2019-20 Fiscal Year District 225 Budget
Proposed 2019 Property Tax Levy Memo and Resolution

In Illinois, the Truth in Taxation Act requires taxing bodies to publish estimated amounts and hold public hearings if they are more than 105 percent of the previous year's extension.

"While our estimated levy does not require us to perform these two activities, it is recommended that [District 225] continue past practice by publishing the levy, and holding a public hearing to provide an opportunity for our community to express their thoughts regarding the proposal," Gravel said in his memo.

District officials plan to hold a public hearing on the proposed levy at the board's regular meeting at 7 p.m. Dec. 9 at 3801 W. Lake Ave., Glenview.

"The action taken by the [District 225 board] enables the district to maintain intergenerational equity for our families and residents, who benefit from both high educational standards and high property values," Board President Bruce Doughty said in the statement.