District 61 Recommends 4.99 Percent Levy

Next month,  School Board members will likely adopt a 4.99 percent property tax levy for 2011.

However, school officials are quick to note the DuPage County Clerk will likely only approve a 1.76 percent increase over last year's levy.

“Just because we’re asking for 4.99 percent doesn’t mean we’re going to get it,” said Bob Carlo, superintendent of District 61.

A levy is a request taxing bodies, such as school districts, make for their portion of residents' property tax bills. The request is based on estimates of new construction in the district.   

District Business Manager Megan Stoltz said because the increase falls under the 5 percent threshold, the district won't need to post a Truth in Taxation public hearing notice in a newspaper.

But school officials still plan to hold a public hearing regarding official adoption of the tax levy Dec. 13. The school board will vote to adopt the levy after the hearing.

Stoltz said District 61 based this year's estimates on $20 million worth of new construction. But when DuPage County makes the final call in late March or early April, it will likely base its estimates on $1 million of new growth.

District 61 asks for more than it expects to receive—a technique referred to as "ballooning"—to ensure that it captures all the tax revenue available to it. If it underestimates new construction, it's difficult to recoup the loss in subsequent years, Stoltz said.

“The system is set up for us to do these maneuvers,” Carlo said. “We don’t watch new construction because that’s not what our job is, but they make us go through these things.”

If the district receives a 1.76 percent increase, the resulting levy would total about $14 million.