Politics & Government
Ela Library Board Seeks 10.3% Tax Levy Increase
Public hearing scheduled on Tuesday, Nov. 16.
A planned 10.3 percent increase in the tax levy for the Ela Area Public Library will boost its available funds from to $6,507,696 from $6,100,303 levied in 2009.
Because the amount of the planned levy exceeds the five percent limit established in the Truth in Taxation Act (TITA) a "black border" notice about the increase must be published in a local newspaper. TITA requires the notice and a public hearing about the levy when the increase exceeds 5 percent.
The library must "publish the approved set estimates by the board of trustess" and include the date and time of the hearing, according to Mary Bet Campe, library director. The hearing will be held at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 16, at the library.
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"The biggest misconception is that resident's taxes are going to be raised, but this doesn't have anything to do with raising their taxes," said Campe. The current tax rate for the library is 0.308 percent, according to Lake County clerk records.
The library receives more than 99 percent of it's funding from property taxes, so the board estimates taxes for the next fiscal year. That estimate involves the consumer price index (CPI) and growth within the community.
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"The percentage is high because I wanted to capture all the new growth and development in the area," explained Campe. If the library board doesn't include an estimate for all the new growth in the area, they will not be able to report on that growth the following year.
The Board of Trustees, on Tuesday night, approved the proposed General Fund at $4,530,700, IMRF Fund at $365,000, Social Security Fund at $205,000, Building, Equipment, and Maintenance Fund at $258,000, and the Liability Fund at 51,000, totaling $5,409,700. That is up 13.8 percent from last year, at $4,753, 483.
Property taxes to be levied for debt service for 2010 are $1,320, 996, down 1.9 percent from 2009 at $1,346,820.
After the hearing and if the library board approves the levy, the board will file the certified levy with the county clerk. The county clerk will notify the library the amount needed to be cut from the levy resulting in a final dollar amount for the 2010/2011 fiscal year.
