Maybe it is denial surrounding the pending onset of winter, or just anticipation of what is shaping up as an extremely contentious and crowded 2015 local election season, but I find myself thinking about Spring these days.
Along with the arrival of the first robin, blooming tulips and crocuses, an annual sign of Spring is homeowners complaining about their real estate tax bill. Accounting for 70% or more of the total, local school districts are targets for the lion’s share of this grumbling. While some moans are understandable, the reality is the decisions that led to the tax bill were made six months prior during the preparation of the annual budget and tax levy request. These discussions, even though open to the public, culminate in resolutions typically passed with very little interest or input from these same critical taxpayers. Whether more concerned with upcoming holiday preparations, or just unwilling to study budgets and spreadsheets, voters and property owners typically stay away early in the deliberations and prefer to sound alarms only when property tax bills show up in their mailbox.
With these thoughts in mind, the Naperville Area Homeowners Confederation has invited the superintendents of local districts 203 and 204 to our November meeting to share with our members where they see their respective budgets heading and what factors drive decisions regarding increasing their levy. While next year’s budgets will still be a work in progress, having the districts’ leaders on hand to provide an understanding of how they approach levy increases will be a really good use of a November Saturday morning.
Join us on November 15 in the Pre-Emption House Tavern at Naper Settlement. (check www.NAHC-naperhomeowners@wowway.com for more details), with, coffee and networking, sponsored by the Indian Prairie Educational Foundation beginning at 8AM. Hope to see you then!
