Sparlin Explains Sales Tax Ballot Question

Dear Kendall County Voters,

I’m writing to provide you with factual information regarding the County School Facility Occupation Tax that will appear on the ballot November 6. The opportunity for counties to adopt this tax began in 2007; currently, 51 counties in Illinois have adopted this tax, with several others voting on it next week.

If approved, a 1% tax is added to certain purchases made in the county. The revenues from the tax are then evenly divided among the public school students residing in that county and sent to the school districts without going to Springfield. Many items are excluded from the tax, including medicine, vehicles, groceries, farm equipment, mobile homes, and services. If something is not taxed today, it would not be taxed by this pending proposition.

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The law restricts how school districts can use the funds from the facility tax. The funds can be allocated towards outstanding Health/Life Safety bonds and paying for facility projects, which would otherwise have been paid for with property taxes. Those projects may include such things as roof repairs, ongoing maintenance, energy efficiency, parking lot repairs, security, safety, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, additions, renovations and new facilities.

The law does restrict any monies received from the facility tax from being used for salaries, benefits, movable equipment, textbooks, furniture, computers, printers, utility costs, buses and custodial needs. The money may also be used to abate property taxes. The SD 308 Board of Education has adopted a policy that allocates 100% of funds received from the facility tax to make capital bond payments and abate property taxes. If passed, the tax would start being collected in July of 2019, and homeowners would experience property tax relief beginning in fiscal year 2021. It is anticipated that the full savings of approximately $249 annually on a home valued at $250,000 would be seen by fiscal year 2022.

Should Kendall County adopt the facility tax, the money would be distributed monthly to all districts serving students in Kendall County. Based on the population of Kendall County students that SD 308 serves, the approximate annual revenue from the 1% tax would be $5,674,372.

The language on the Nov. 6 ballot for Kendall County is determined by the state, and is not easy to understand. It will be the second question under the Public Question section and will state:

“Shall a retailer’s occupation tax and a service occupation tax (commonly referred to as a “Sales Tax”) be imposed in Kendall County at a rate of 1% to be used exclusively for school facility purposes?”

The voter has the option to answer yes or no.

I hope this information has assisted you, providing all the facts necessary for you to make an informed decision regarding the proposed facility tax. Additional information is posted on our website at www.sd308.org/onecent.

Thank you,

Dr. John W. Sparlin

Superintendent of Schools