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News
Property tax bill increases prompted complaints : News : Oswego Ledger-Sentinel : Hometown Newspaper for Oswego and Montgomery, IllinoisProperty tax bill increases prompted complaints
| Oswego president says he sought information from school board
| by John Etheredge
| 5/24/2012
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Oswego Village President Brian LeClercq told the village board last week he was contacted by several area residents last week upset over their property tax bills.
LeClercq, however, said most of the residents he talked with indicated they understood the village accounts for a very small portion of the total amount owed on each bill.
The Kendall County Treasurer's Office mailed property tax bills to county residents two weeks ago.
LeClercq commended the village board and village staff for holding the line on the village's portion of this year's tax bills.
The village's tax rate for every $100 of equalized assessed valuation held steady at 14 cents.
Under the 14 cent rate, the owner of a home valued at $200,000 that did not claim any exemptions would pay $93 in property taxes to the village. Property owners who claimed a Homestead or Senior Exemption would pay even less.
The only municipality in Kendall County with a lower rate on this year's tax bills was tiny Millington with a population of about 500 at 12 cents.
LeClercq, however, noted that the Oswego School District's tax rate-which accounts for about 70 percent of most tax bills-increased by 82 cents from last year's rate of $5.83 to $6.65.
"I did talk to some school board members and after much dialog on the issue...(I learned) the (school) rate was kept steady for a number of years, based on projections on economic development and the EAV going up a certain amount, but none of that transpired," he said.
LeClercq noted that his property tax bill went up even though the assessed value of his home went down.
Referring to school board members, LeClercq said, "They did assure me my tax bill would have been quite a bit higher if they had gone ahead and built the third high school and issued those bonds."
LeClercq said he believes the school board should try to communicate better on property tax issues with local residents.
"We are doing some real good things here in the community, but, unfortunately, if we are not communicating that message it isn't being heard with the rumors that are out on the street. The rumors become the reality," he said.
LeClercq added, "I know they (the school board) are trying really hard to work on behalf of the taxpayers and provide a good education. I would ask them to get out that message."
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