The Vermilion County Board has placed its proposed new budget and tax levy on public display. Proposed expenditures outpace expected revenues by three-million dollars. The budget which will be voted on next month totals just over $52-million, 774-thousand dollars. Expected revenues for the fiscal year that starts December first are projected to be about $49-million, 708-thousand dollars.
County Board Chairman Larry Baughn says there are a number of factors affecting the proposed tax levy…
{AUDIO: “The EAV (equalized assessed valuation) has rose in the county and that creates more tax dollars for us as well. There’s a couple of new programs that are out of our control that are in the levy. We are asked by the State to pass it. The Veterans Commission – you know – they had a huge increase in their levy, but a new statute lets them do that. We’re just kind of the pass-through that has to approve that. So, there’s a lot of different factors that go into it – but percentage-wise it’s no different than its ever been.’’}
The county government tax levy being proposed is requesting $16-million-535-thousand dollars from taxpayers for the new fiscal year. It compares to an extension of $15-million, 781-thousand dollars for the current fiscal year. The County’s proposed Fiscal Year 2023-2024 tax rate is $1.40 per $100 of equalized assessed value…down from the FY 2022-2023 rate of $1.45 per $100 of equalized assessed value. But when other levy amounts are added for the Rossvillle and Grant Township Ambulance Services and Northfork Special Service Districts, the proposed FY 2023-2024 tax rate is $1.74 per $100 of equalized assessed value compared to $1.64 per $100 (of equalized assessed value) for Fiscal Year 2022-2023. The County Board will vote on both the new budget and tax levy at its November 14th meeting. Meanwhile, County Supervisor of Assessments Matt Long told the County Board members that tax factors and some information on reassessments will be released on Thursday.
Vermilion County Supervisor of Assessments Matt Long
Matt Long told Neuhoff Media that there are 19 different townships, with factors working at anywhere from 5.5 to 13 percent. But don’t get the wrong idea if you see a number 13.
AUDIO: Even with a factor of almost 13 percent, the taxing districts can only ask for up to five percent more, without having a “truth in taxation hearing.”
Long says if you believe you have been improperly assessed; you can stop by to pick up an assessment complaint form, on the third floor of the Joseph G. Cannon County Administrative Building. You can also go to vercounty.org; click on the “Board of Review” tab, and download the assessment complaint form.
