District 65 proposes 4.99% property tax increase

Evanston/Skokie School District 65 is proposing a 4.99% increase to its property tax levy for the coming year, Chief Financial Officer Eric Miller told the school board at its meeting Monday. This increase would raise a $500,000 home s annual bill by about $110, according to Miller. Under Illinois property tax law, school districts can increase their levy each year by either the previous year’s inflation rate or 5%, whichever is lower. The Illinois Department of Revenue has identified an inflation rate of 2.7% tied to property taxes payable in 2027, according to a District 65 memo, but school districts can approve something called a “balloon levy” to also capture payments from new properties added to the tax rolls within the last year. Miller said the district’s current planning assumes about $15 million in new property. “The higher request provides room for uncertainty in property values and other unknowns,” he said. However, the district can receive only the maximum am