CHANNAHON — Village residents will be hit a little less hard this year with their property tax bills, as Channahon District 17 school board members this week set the amount for a tax abatement.
Since rates are predicted to jump this year due to an estimated $19.4 million decrease in “accessible EAV,” or EAV minus new construction, the board took a hard look at the way the taxes were going to affect residents. The district had it in its means to reduce the rate a little, and it was decided Monday night that it would give a little back.
“Anytime we’re able to give back to the taxpayers,” said board president Michael Geldean, “we will do that. It’s not a huge amount, but it will make a difference.”
During the discussion, board member Jim Bogacz, who was absent last month, wanted to make sure the district could afford to give up the dollars.
“The taxpayers want us to be good stewards of our money,” Bogacz said, “but the number one, most important thing is a good education.”
Finance Manager Mike Schroeder assured him the district could handle the abatement. If there were no abatement for the 2012 property tax levy, the estimated tax rate would have risen from last year’s $2.6807 per $100 equalized assessed valuation to $2.8625 this year. The board decided the amount it will abate should equal the Consumer Price Index increase of 3 percent, which would be $442,403, bringing the rate to around 2.7915.
At its November board meeting, the board will vote on a resolution for abatement to be included with its 2012 tentative levy.
In other matters, board members shook the hands of the district’s cross country team members for their good season this year.
The Girls’ Cross Country Team won the state championship in Class 2A, and the Boys’ Cross Country Team took third place at state. Both successes came in Coach Tim Hansen’s first year coaching at Channahon.
Also this week, payments for “case #1,” relating to a denial of coverage from the Illinois Insurance Guaranty Fund, was approved. The case was settled for $24,000 to the petitioner and $5,500 to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois.
The dollar amount, according to Schroeder, was 30 percent less than administrators anticipated from the case that was opened in 2000.
The district also approved giving a surplus 1971 Case 380 loader landscaper tractor to the village of Channahon and approved hiring Angie Panagiotaras as a homebound tutor at a salary of $31.02/hour.
Absent from this week’s District 17 school board meeting were members Pat Clower and Derek Breen.
