No comment on school district tax levy

By: 
Ann Gill
Editor

The public was given an opportunity to comment on the Unit 1 School District’s $24.9 million property tax levy, but no one did—in person or in writing—thus the required Truth in Taxation hearing lasted less than 60 seconds.
At the meeting immediately following the public hearing, the board of education approved the 2020 levy that seeks for $24,970,818 to cover school expenses during the 2021-2022 school year. The figure reflects the amount of property tax be collected from district taxpayers outside of the agreed to payment from Exelon Nuclear which amounts to $16 million.
The 2020 levy was built on the district’s estimated equalized assessed value [EAV], a figure the Grundy County assessor’s office has put at $859 million—$490 of that is assigned to the nuclear generating station.
Unit 1 denotes its property tax revenue in two ways—Dresden EAV and all other EAV which is valued at $369 million, and as noted that figure represents a 16% growth. A number significantly higher than the district’s models of a 2% growth in all other EAV.
The levy board members approved last week represents a 9.18% increase from the prior year for corporate and special purposes.
By fund the levy seeks $17,242,396 for education, $3,992,739 for operations and maintenance, $1,566,397 to cover transportation, $472,969 for Social Security and $343,978 to cover contributions to the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund [IMRF].
Additionally, $273,918 to working cash, $343,978 for special education, $42,997 to life safety, $310,474 to the tort fund and $380,972 for leasing.
By statute, the levy must be filed with the county clerks in Grundy and Will counties by the last Tuesday in December.