The Dixon City Council has placed on file its proposed 2025 property tax levy – one that will bring higher property taxes – as it heads toward a final vote in December.

The proposed 2025 property tax rate for the city is about $2.29 per $100 of equalized assessed value, an increase from the 2024 rate of $1.72. If approved, the 2025 rates would result in an estimated tax bill increase of $29 for a home valued at $100,000, according to the proposed tax levy ordinance.

Dixon Finance Director Becky Leslie told Shaw Local that the city should receive the final assessment numbers from Lee County by the end of November and, hopefully, that will decrease its tax rate.

If the numbers don’t change, Dixon residents could see the largest increase on the city and fire portions of their tax bill since at least 2013. But the actual amount billed – estimated at $763 for a home valued at $100,000 – is still much lower than it was in 2013 through 2022, Leslie said.

The proposed total 2025 tax levy request is $5,343,443, which is about 4.94% more than what was levied for 2024, the proposed ordinance shows.

About 47% will be used for municipal, fire and police pensions, while 29% will go toward Dixon police salaries, 12% will be used for the Dixon Public Library, 6% will go toward insurance and its financial audit, 5% will be used for Social Security, and 1% will go toward public works salaries.

Dixon city fire salaries will be paid using other funding sources, according to the proposed ordinance.

Council member Dennis Considine thanked Leslie for taking a “conservative approach.”

“We’re aware of the burden of taxation to some of our constituents, but then again, we have to pay taxes in order to have [this] wonderful community,” Considine said.

The city of Dixon makes up about 24% of a resident’s total property tax bill. Dixon Public Schools District 170 makes up about 54%, Lee County about 9%, the Dixon Park District about 5%, Sauk Valley Community College about 4%, and Dixon Township and its road district about 4%, Leslie said.

As required by state law, the Dixon council will hold a public hearing on the levy Dec. 1 and vote on its final approval Dec. 15. Those meetings start at 5:30 p.m. and are held on the second floor of city hall at 121 W. Second St. in Dixon. Meetings also are recorded and livestreamed on the city’s Facebook page.