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United School District approves $1 million levy increase, 9 cent tax rate increase expected

The United School District approved a tax levy increase for their district last Thursday that is about $1 million more than last year.That’s a 13 percent increase in the levy but most of the burden likely won’t be felt by homeowners.

United District 304 is largely comprised of rural areas with lots of farmland which appreciates in value greatly.

Illinois farmland value increased 63 percent over the last decade according to the University of Missouri Extension, and locally a 5 percent increase in farm acreage value expected next year.

Residential value is expected to stay fairly stagnant.

The United School Board approved a levy of $8.5 million although it’s worth noting they only got about $400,00 less than was expected from last year’s levy.

Superintendent Jeff Whitsitt tells WGIL all of this, from the large levy increase to the large EAV increase has been pretty typical for their district.

“Even though our extension or what we’re asking for is quite a bit more, we don’t expect to get that,” Whitsitt says.  “In fact we zeroed out a couple of funds to balance out so our rate stays fairly similar.”

Whitsitt says the budget factors in the planned issuance of $6.5 million in School Fire Prevention and Safety Bonds that will be used to complete Health Life Safety work to school buildings.
The tax rate is expected to increase by around 9 cents, which translates to about an another $16 for a $70,000 owner occupied home.

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