Schools

Community High School District 128 to Cut Residents' Tax Bills

The Board of Education voted 5-2 on March 19 to approve a one-time $2 million abatement.

 Board Education voted to abate $2 million from the district’s 2012 tax levy. Libertyville residents should expect to pay slightly less on their tax bills.

On March 19, the board voted 5-2 to approve the one-time cash tax abatement, which will offset the 2.5 percent tax levy request the board approved in December 2011.

The abatement comes after a stable financial state at the district, and the board agreed it was important to help ease the burden realized by taxpayers. The abatement will not reduce the district’s future tax rate, however, according to the press release.

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“Over the last few years we've put in place detailed financial planning systems which have helped us to model and predict our near- and long-term financial needs,” Board President Pat Groody said in a statement. “Based on our most recent analyses, we feel confident that our financial reserves are strong and will support our near- and medium-term requirements.”

Board member Alex Delli Paoli Jr. was one of the two board member who dissented on the vote on the basis that the timing is not right for the district to be giving up funds.

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Delli Paoli noted that in the opinion of the dissenting voters, the best-case scenario is the return of even more funds to taxpayers in the future. The worst-case scenario is the initiation of a deletion of funds, potentially accelerated by unfunded or underfunded mandates, or even a restructuring of public schools.

“We feel the debt solutions and their impact on need to become apparent before funds are released back to taxpayers,” Delli Paoli said in a statement.

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