Elburn asking for more taxes

The village of Elburn is asking for $939,718 in property taxes to be collected in 2011, 47.4 percent more than it received in 2010.

“We know we're not going to get that,” Village President David Anderson acknowledged this week after the village board approved the tentative levy Monday night.

Anderson said the jump was due to the village using its exact costs from this fiscal year in determining the levies for its audit, liability insurance, Social Security/Medicare and Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund expenses, something not done in the recent past. It then took the average percent increase for those four and applied it to the corporate fund levy.

In 2009, the village asked for $742,317 and was granted $637,403 after the Kane County Clerk applied a .85 property tax cap factor. Anderson said the village has not been told what that factor is for the 2010 levy. The clerk's tax extension director, Susan Ericson, said taxing bodies will be allowed a 2.7 percent increase over the 2009 extension. A taxing body can receive more than that depending on other factors, such as the amount of new construction or land annexed to it that year.

The proposed levy asks for 45.5 percent more in taxes for corporate, 32 percent more for the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund contribution, 24.6 percent more for audit expenses, 45 percent more for liability and 79 percent more for Social Security/Medicare taxes.

Because the request is more than 5 percent above last year's actual tax extension, the village has to have a public hearing on the matter.

The hearing is at 6:45 p.m. Nov. 15 at the village hall, 301 E. North St.

The village must file its levy request with the county clerk by Dec. 28.

Taxes levied in 2010 are payable in 2011.