The city of Galesburg’s 2016 property tax levy remains undecided as two motions to pass a 2.54 percent levy decrease failed at last night’s meeting.
City Manager Todd Thompson says because the motions failed, council will likely go back to the drawing board.
He tells WGIL they will look at the current tax rate, as well as the two separate levies that go into the overall property tax.
“We’ll find out a little bit more at the work session,” Thompson says. “I think there are some people that would like to see the property tax raised up the full amount, I think there is (sic) others that would like to talk about whether or not we need to raise the aggregate levy the five percent.”
The aggregate levy funds operations while a levy defined as “debt service” is incurred debt. Council has had plans to abate debt service and remove the debt and now, Thompson has proposed raising the aggregate levy five percent.
“If we’re going to raise the aggregate levy up to what the combined levy was last year, that will require a Truth in Taxation hearing,” Thompson says.”So, that process will be a little more lengthy and ultimately we wouldn’t be able to pass a property tax until the 19th of December.”
Meanwhile, aldermen voted 6-1 to approve a 1.8 percent increase to the city’s hotel/motel tax. The $124,000 in additional revenue will be used to fund an expansion of the Galesburg Promise scholarship program.
A subsequent ordinance adding home school and private school students to the program passed, as well.