Batavia representatives explain property tax process

BATAVIA ? Batavia resident Terrence Pogge said he was shocked after receiving what he called a ?huge jump? in his school taxes this year.

?It?s not that I don?t support what they are doing,? said
Pogge, a former teacher. ?I?m more concerned about the district?s expenses. I have questions about the district?s management and efficiency.?

Pogge was one of 80 to 100 people who attended Tuesday?s Eggs & Issues program at Batavia High School titled ?Understanding Your Property Tax Increase.? The Batavia Chamber of Commerce and Batavia MainStreet sponsored the program.

Representatives from the Batavia School District, city of Batavia, Batavia Park District and the Batavia Library District spoke at the meeting.

Rising school district property taxes generated much of the interest at the meeting. Residents saw an average increase of 10.8 percent in their school taxes this year, said Kris Monn, the district?s assistant superintendent for finance.

Monn explained that the school board from 2007 to 2010 abated $6.3 million of taxes from the community to respond to the economic crisis. In 2011, Monn said the board no longer had any reserves to lower the debt payment and refused to burden future generations with increased debt.

?The tax increase and extension were allowed to return to their natural level, resulting in a large increase on the 2012 tax bills,? Monn said.

The school board had previously agreed to keep the district?s tax rate at $4.69 per $100 of assessed valuation as part of the community?s support in 2007 of a $75 million bond project to fund the expansion of Batavia High School and other construction projects.

Monn said homeowners next year should see an increase of $50 in their school taxes, assuming an average property value decrease of 5 percent.

The district is projecting a surplus of $143,000 in its operating fund for the 2012-2013 budget. A public hearing on the tentative budget is set for 7 p.m. Sept. 11 at the Rosalie M. Jones Administration Center, 335 W. Wilson St.

Kane County Supervisor of Assessments Mark Armstrong told residents that if residents really want to lower their taxes, they should make their voices known at budget hearings.

?Everything starts off with the tentative budget,? he said. ?This is the time if you want to have input on the budget. When the tax bill comes out, it is too late to think about that government spending.?

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Source: http://www.kcchronicle.com/2012/07/24/batavia-representatives-explain-property-tax-process/aj37cs8/

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