District 214 approves tax levy increase
Northwest Suburban High School District 214 unanimously passed a $192.7 million property tax levy for 2011 Thursday night, a 2.4 percent increase over the 2010 levy.
The levy in 2010 was $188.1 million.
The vote came after a public hearing and several public comment sessions where nearly a dozen residents spoke, some multiple times, against any levy increase.
“Its getting to a point where the average person is not going to be able to live in his own home anymore,” said Pat Pontrelli of Arlington Heights. Pontrelli said his tax bill has gone up about $1,000 a year for the past few years.
“I hope District 214 will be very careful with these levies because the tax falls on us. It's not fair.”
Other residents, including Glenn Adams of Rolling Meadows spoke of not having a salary increase over the past decade, but that his taxes continue to go up.
“Please keep us in mind,” said Adams, a former alderman in Rolling Meadows.
“I strongly believe no increase in the tax levy over last year in necessary,” said Roland Ley, president of Taxpayers United, a Northwest suburban group of tax watchdogs. He pointed out Arlington Heights and Wheeling decided not to raise their municipal levies this year.
It is District 214 policy not to respond to residents during public comment session. Several people who spoke said they found it frustrating to ask questions about the district's financial state that were not answered.
The district will follow up by letter to those who asked questions, said school board President Jim Perkins.
Other residents questioned the way District 214 is spending its money, including a plan over the next several years to replace desktop computers and textbooks with iPads.
“I have always supported the district, but I do think there are some things out of bounds,” said Sheryl Hogan of Arlington Heights about the iPad plan. “Times are tough and it doesn't seem like it's gotten through to many people.”
With the majority of district expenses going toward employee salaries and benefits, several speakers, including Leslie Logan of Buffalo Grove, asked officials to reduce compensation.
“If I lose my home it won't be because I bought a home I can't afford or that I'm making less, it will be the taxes that will drive me out,” Logan said.
District officials have discussed the levy over the past several weeks. The consider it a reasonably small increase, although Superintendent Dave Schuler said he understands the residents' frustration and appreciates their comments.
“I am comfortable with the levy, I'm comfortable with the increase. I'm comfortable with how we spend the money,” Perkins said. “I do think that the district does a good job of managing the money efficiently and we have great results from our students.”
District 214 is the second-largest high school district in the state after neighboring District 211. It serves Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect, Prospect Heights and Wheeling, and parts of Buffalo Grove, Des Plaines, Rolling Meadows and Elk Grove Village.