The Niles-Maine District Library Board of Trustees is expected to ask the public for feedback about potentially recapturing more than $2 million in property tax revenue the district lost when a previous Board reduced the library’s tax levy over the last three years.
The board agreed by consent at its regular meeting Wednesday, Oct. 18, to wait to schedule a public hearing until after learning at an Oct. 30 special meeting how such an increase might affect taxpayers.
A public hearing is required before a taxing body can file a levy request that seeks to increase property taxes by more than 5% above the previous year’s tax extension.
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Board President Becky Keane said approving the highest possible levy this year is essential to maintaining the level of services and staff that patrons have historically expected from the library.
“The board is aware of how crucial the levy is for us,” Keane said. “I believe the board is supporting the highest level so we can maintain salaries and staffing. We have discovered another possibility now.”
Don Renner, an attorney for the board, said the Board could have levied up to about $7.6 million in property taxes last year, but chose not to and received less than $5.2 million. The board has the option of changing course this year, Renner said.
“You left $2.4 million on the table,” he said. “The library can hold flat and be in a similar situation. The question for the board is, are we comfortable proceeding with a levy like last year? Or do we want to increase and capture some of that additional revenue?”
In 2020, the district collected almost $7.2 million in property taxes, but lowered that amount to almost $6.1 million in 2021 and $5.15 million in 2022, according to Pilar Shaker, interim executive director for the library.
Before approving an increase of 5% or more in its request for property taxes, the board agreed by consent to ask Renner to provide estimates of how much the largest possible tax increase would affect homeowners.
The board specifically asked Renner to provide estimates of how much such an increase would affect the owner of a $300,000 home in Niles and a $300,000 home in unincorporated Maine Township.
Board members also asked Renner to provide the same information on how much each of the district’s levies affected such homeowners over the last three years.
After a public hearing, the board would have the discretion of filing a tax levy for the full amount published in the required public notice of the hearing or lowering the amount of the levy, Renner said.
The district has not levied at its maximum rate since 2012, he said.
“Please don’t take that as a criticism,” Renner said. “I’m just pointing out the facts.”
“I don’t take it as a criticism,” Board Secretary Patti Rozanski said. “Even when the same situation came up before, we did not go to the maximum allowed.”
Shaker, who said she plans to leave her position after November, offered to help the board address the issue while she is still executive director.
“It makes a lot of sense to do it while you’re here in November and not try to do it without you,” Keane said.
Shaker said she could draft three different proposed ordinances of different intended levy amounts.
“We need to give you the (amounts) we prefer,” Rozanski said.
Board Vice President Jason Trunco said choosing the levy amount could not be done Wednesday because the matter was listed on the agenda as discussion, not an action item.
Trustees agreed to wait to set a levy amount until after hearing from Renner about how homeowners would be affected.
“We can’t give Pilar that number until we get that information,” Trustee Umair Qadeer said.
Public notice of the public hearing must be published in a local newspaper seven to 14 days before the hearing, Rozanski said.
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