Lincoln-Way District Proposes Slightly Lower Tax Levy Than 2010

The Lincoln-Way High School District plans to keep taxes at about the same rate as last year.

District 210 Assistant Supt. Ron Sawin presented the Board of Education with the annual tax levy plan Thursday night, getting approval to go forward with the process of holding a public hearing and publishing a legal notice. The district plans to levy $74,416,681, which is about $3 million less than last year's levy.

Factoring in a 1.5 percent increase for the Consumer Price Index, taxes for the average resident should remain flat or increase by that 1.5 percent. Sawin said a resident with a home valued at $300,000 would see up to $10 or $15 more on the District 210 portion of the tax bill.

"That's in recognition of what's happening with the economy," Sawin said.

School districts must approve their tax levies in December, and that's before the official assessed valuation of homes is determined. Thus, the district always requests more in taxes than it will actually get.

For example, the district levied $77.2 million in 2010, but the actual amount in taxes received was about $9 million less at $68,027,223.

Sawin said he anticipates the district will actually collect about $70.5 million in property taxes, or $54.7 million excluding bond and interest. A portion of the taxes collected each year is automatically put toward money owed for construction projects. The rest goes to other funds, including education, building and transportation.

Property taxes make up about 65 percent of the district's $97.6 million budget. The District 210 tax levy accounts for about 25 percent of the average resident's tax bill.

A public hearing on the tax levy will be held at 6 p.m. Dec. 7 at , and the board will vote whether to adopt the tax levy the following night during a 7 p.m. meeting at the high school.