Dist. 211 approves increase in tax levy

The Schaumburg-Palatine School District 211 board of education approved a 1.8 percent increase for the 2011 tax levy Thursday.

Excluding the debt service fund, the levy is $197.9 million, which is up from $194.3 million last year.

The board also adopted a resolution to authorize the county clerk to abate a portion of the taxes levied for 2011 to pay outstanding principal and interest on $50.4 million of school bonds.

State Rep. Michelle Mussman, a Schaumburg Democrat, was on hand to voice her opinion on the tax levy. She is an opponent of the recent income tax increase, and earlier this year explored legislation that would prevent levy increases when the taxing body’s total equalized assessed value is lower than that of the previous year.

“Overwhelmingly, the number one issue on people’s minds is their property taxes,” Mussman said prior to the board’s vote. “There’s a growing frustration that property taxes continue to increase while family incomes have frozen or decreased.

“I strongly encourage you seek every possible alternative method of cost savings before asking the residents to pay more,” she added.

How the levy breaks down for individual homeowners is determined by the Cook County assessor’s office.

Four residents also spoke out against the tax levy, including Schaumburg resident John Parker, the vice president of Northwest Taxpayers United.

“The people in the community are really suffering,” he said. “I think this school district can do much better in controlling its budget.”

Parker also said he felt some of the district’s numbers were off.

“You have a generous reserve fund. I have an issue with the way (associate superintendent) Dave (Torres) projects ... that if we don’t increase our levy we’ll be in deficit spending,” he said, adding that he thought the projections were off “times three.”

Board member Anna Klimkowicz said while she understands the difficulties families are going through, she also understands the importance of passing the tax levy.

However, she said there are opportunities to “do a little more examination in the future” with the levy.

“I think what we need to do is really take a look at our budget,” she said. “Maybe in the future we need to take a look at our tax levy and maybe look at some different options.”