Dixon Public Schools to hold truth-in-taxation hearing

DIXON — Dixon Public Schools will conduct a truth in taxation hearing on Dec. 14 because the proposed aggregate tax levy for 2022 is more than 5% than 2021′s tax extension.

In fact, it will be more than 8%.

Marc Campbell, business manager, provided the board of education with an explanation of the requirement at its November meeting.

“The levy is an ‘Ask,’” Campbell said. “We really don’t dictate the amount of money we get. What we get is our tax rate calculated against the property value assessments across the counties.”

For Dixon schools, that means the assessor’s offices in Lee and Ogle counties make that determination.

The counties’ evaluation is based on the purchase price of properties from 2019 to 2021.

According to Campbell’s calculations, the 2021 EAVs for properties across the two counties within the district was more than $404 million in 2021 and the estimated EAV including new properties for 2022 will be more than $441 million in 2022.

In his report to the board, Campbell reiterated that the assessed value for 2022 is a projection — actual numbers aren’t available until usually the spring. But because schools will not have the opportunity to amend a levy at that point, “the tendency is to estimate the assessed value slightly on the high side.”

He said a taxing body can — and probably will — get less than its requests, but it cannot get more than it requests.

Superintendent Margo Empen told the board such an increase is not unusual this year — other counties in the region are seeing similar increased property assessments.

Under Dixon Public School’s proposed 2022 levy for taxes payable in 2023, it is requesting more than $19 million for the regular levy and an additional $2.3 million to cover its obligation on bonds.

That $19 million is a little more than $1.5 million more than the 2021 levy extension.

The levy request is an extension of the budget. The district’s largest anticipated expenditures are $13 million for education, $2.2 million for operations and maintenance, nearly $1.4 million for tort liability and $882,869 for transportation. The remainder covers district expenditures in IMRF, Social Security, leasing costs, fire prevention and safety, working cash and special education.

In total including bonds, the district’s levy request is $21.34 million. In 2021 it was $19.83 million.