D-303 anticipates fractional tax increase

Comments (...)

E-mail this story

Print this story

Comments

Share

ST. CHARLES — Existing homeowners could see a property tax increase of less than 1 percent under District 303's proposed 2009 total tax levy, said Brad Cauffman, assistant superintendent for business services.

The Board of Education is set to act on the 2009 levy determination resolution during its regular meeting Monday. It is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at the Administration Center, 201 S. Seventh St.

The total levy is estimated at $142,977,168 — about 1.81 percent more than last year.

"Will our taxes go up 1.81 percent across the district?" Cauffman said. "No, because we've estimated a little high" for new growth, which will not be known until April.

State law limits the school district from increasing taxes past the December consumer price index (CPI) for urban consumers, Cauffman said.

The change between December 2007 and December 2008 was 0.1, he said, "so if your home was reassessed and your average reassessment was the same as everyone else's, school taxes would go up 0.1 percent."

Cauffman called this amount "unheard of," noting it was about 4.1 percent last year. He pointed to gas prices as a reason for the fractional change since fuel costs affect many commodities measured by the CPI. Despite the $4-a-gallon spike in the summer of 2008, he said, prices declined enough by December to change the index by only 0.1 percent.

Because the tax levy should increase by less than 5 percent, District 303 is not required by law to hold a public hearing, Cauffman said. Instead, he said, the district is using regular board meetings to inform the public and will welcome comments about the levy during the public comment segment.

The board plans to adopt the tax levy Dec. 14. The district must file the levy with the county clerk by Dec. 29.

Comments