New Lenox to Rebate 50% of Residents' Property Taxes

New Lenox residents will get more money rebated from the taxes they paid to the village in 2010.

On Monday night, Mayor Tim Baldermann announced that residents will get 50 percent of their property tax bills back, up from 40 percent last year. For the average resident, that means an additional $30 back, and about $150 refunded in total.

How the Village Can Do This

When the village asked residents to give it home rule status in 2008, thus increasing sales tax by 1 percent, officials promised to rebate 33 percent of residents' property tax bills.

In 2010, the first year of rebates, the village went above that promise and refunded 40 percent of property taxes. In the program's second year, that will increase to half the property tax dollars collected.

Baldermann said that ultimately, the Village Board's goal is to rebate 100 percent of property taxes.

How to Apply for the Refund

The village is mailing refund forms tomorrow morning; they were sent in green envelopes. Residents will then have until Dec. 15, 2011, to return the form and all the necessary information.

If you don't get a form in the mail by Saturday, Oct. 29, call the village at 815-462-6400. The village will immediately send another form, or you may pick one up at or get it on the village's website.

Baldermann stressed that Dec. 15 is a firm deadline, because last year got "crazy" when people were turning in rebate forms late.

"We can't just have people calling in March," he said. "This is giving money back to the taxpayers. Don't think (the form) is just junk mail."

Residents must return the application with copies of their Illinois driver's license or state ID and their 2010 property tax bill. A copy of your property tax bill may be requested through the Will County Treasurer's website.

A utility bill was required last year, but the village will not required that anymore because it has water billing information on hand already. You may mail the form to Village Hall, drop it off there or even drop it in the water bill collection boxes outside.

PLEASE NOTE: The forms that residents receive will say that the rebate is for 40 percent, but the Village Board gave consensus direction Monday for staff to calculate the rebate to 50 percent.

Who's Eligible for the Rebate

Eligible residents may receive a 50 percent rebate on their 2010 property taxes, which were paid in 2011. Only residential properties qualify, so township residents are not eligible. You also must have: 

• Owned a home for all of 2010 and still own that home;
• Qualified for the Homestead Exemption in 2010;
• Not rented or leased any portion of the home;
• Paid all 2010 real estate taxes through the Will County website; and
• No past due balance owed to the village.

What Comes Next

After the Dec. 15 deadline, the village will process all the information and hopes to mail checks by March 5.

Last year, the village sent about 7,500 rebate forms and issued at least 6,000 checks, according to a previous article.

Previously, members of the Village Board have cited the tax rebate as a benefit to New Lenox residents that other communities don't have, as well as justification for increasing other taxes to pay for projects.

Earlier this year, the board , but said residents would still see an overall savings, in part because of the property tax rebate.

Please see the PDF accompanying this article for more information.