Exception to local levy limits for the city of Fox Lake

What it would have done

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Generally under current law, and subject to a number of exceptions, a city, village, town, or county (political subdivision) may not increase its levy by a percentage that exceeds its "valuation factor," which is defined as the greater of either zero percent or the percentage change in the political subdivision's equalized value due to new construction, less improvements removed. The base amount of a political subdivision's levy, on which the levy limit is imposed, is the actual levy for the immediately preceding year.

In 2011, the assessor for the city of Fox Lake made an error in reporting the valuation of a tax incremental district in the city. Under current law, the error is corrected by adjusting the taxation district's equalized value in the year after the year in which the error was made. Because of the 2011 valuation error, should the city impose its intended 2012 levy, the resulting tax rate would be different from what the city intended. If the city reduces its levy, however, the levy will be less than initially intended and the levy limit for 2013 would be based on the reduced levy for 2012. Under this bill, the levy limits applicable to the city of Fox Lake for 2013 are increased by the amount by which the city reduces its levy from the amount it would have levied in 2012, if not for the valuation error, to compensate for that error. The actual levy limit increase amount is determined by the Department of Revenue.

Who's behind it

Jeff Fitzgerald, a Republican, is its author⁠.

1 more lawmaker signed on in support⁠.