Dolton 149 School Board Votes to Lower Property Tax Levy

(Calumet City, IL) – The Dolton School District 149 board of education has voted to give taxpayers relief on their property tax bill.

The Dolton 149 board voted 4-1 at its October 26 board meeting to adopt its Tentative Levy for fiscal year 2018, which is payable for tax year 2017, that lowered the aggregate property tax levy by $19,000 for residents of the Calumet City-based district.

“The school board refinanced a portion of existing bond debt in 2016, securing a lower interest rate,” said Dolton 149 Business Manager Cedric Lewis. “The debt restructuring enabled us to lower the property tax levy to pay our annual debt, providing $19,000 in property tax relief to taxpayers.”

The district’s total estimated to be paid for the fiscal year 2017 tax levy is $14,340,959 compared to the 2016 levy of $14,360,068 or a $19,109 reduction. Property tax bills are paid for the previous tax year, meaning that the bill mailed on May 1, 2018 will be for the 2017 tax year.

Dolton 149’s board president attributed the district’s commitment to “being good stewards of taxpayer money” to explain next year’s $19,000 property tax levy decrease.

“The Dolton 149 Board of Education is committed to being good stewards of taxpayer money, which is how we’re going to provide property tax relief next year,” said Dolton 149 President Darlene Gray Everett. “Wherever we can save taxpayers money, we’ll do it.”

To illustrate her point, Gray Everett, who has been on the board since 1994, pointed to the board’s decision last week to approve a contract for new postage equipment at a savings of $180 per year for annual total of $2,160 versus $2,340.

“We think $180 is a lot of money, too,” said Gray Everett. “That’s $180 more for the classroom.”

On the tax levy motion, board members Lolita Crisler-Liggons, Bertha Jolly, Kim Knight-Anderson, and Rayya Ghani voted “yes” and board member Wilbur Tillman voted “no.”

davidormsby@davidormsby.com