District 211 property taxes will increase

Property taxes for residents within Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 will increase next year, but school officials said Thursday they're not the ones most responsible.

The board on Thursday approved the 2011 property tax levy, which represents a 3.1-percent increase compared to last year's tax rate. The rate comes from a 2.7-percent increase in the cost of inflation and an estimated increase of .04 percent in new construction next year within the district.

Board President Robert LeFevre said he's heard complaints from residents about their tax bills, but insisted District 211 was spending responsibly while being sensitive to the taxpayers' predicament. LeFevre blamed a new Cook County law, which took effect in October, that changes the way property is assessed.

District 211 maintains the change places more of a tax burden on homeowners, while giving relief to commercial property owners.

“Our board shares the frustration caused by the highly-volatile Cook County taxpayers' system,” LeFevre said.

LeFevre also stressed the district is only responsible for .3 percent of a taxpayers bill.

Schaumburg resident Walter Gwazdacz, who's lived in the village since 1971 and has had two daughters who attended District 211 schools, addressed the board to tell them how he was struggling paying his taxes while in retirement.

He said his tax bill has doubled in the last year and asked the board to spend taxes wisely.

“Quite honestly, my wife and I, we're probably going to wind up having to sell our home next year or the year after because we just can't afford to pay $12,000,” Gwazdacz said. “God knows how much it's going to be, you know, next year or the year after that.”

If the words of the firm that conducted the district's financial audit are true, then the district is acting financially responsible in the ways Gwazdacz wanted.

Accountant Brian Imhoff of the firm Baker Tilly said the district had a good year financially, as revenues exceeded expenses. Imhoff also said the general fund's ending balance was at 50 percent of the total expenses of the year, which exceeds the district's minimum standard of 33 percent.

Imhoff also talked about the district abating $3.7 million in its $9 million debt service levy this year, which is from the 2006 voter-approved bond issue.

The district moved $3.7 million from its working cash fund to save taxpayers. It's been doing that since 2007.

“That shows the district is striving to lessen some of the tax burden on its residents, which is worth pointing out,” he said.

Superintendent Nancy Robb is a big supporter of the abatement program and said the district is very concerned in helping taxpayers during these difficult times.