By: Diane Benjamin
Politicians love to hide how your property taxes keep going up. They even claim to keep the tax rate the same – that doesn’t keep your property taxes the same!
You get a new assessment letter in the mail every year. Chances are pretty good it went up this year because the housing shortage is increasing property values. That means even if the rate charged is the same as last year your taxes will be go up.
The Normal Town Council does not set a Property Tax Rate – they set the TOTAL amount they want to collect. The Assessor sends them the new total taxable value and then the Town decides how much of your money they need. Below is what the Town needed the last two year:
https://normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4164
https://normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4164
Since math is REALLY hard:
In 2021 Normal wanted $13,055,328
In 2022 Normal wants $13,381,652
That is an increase of $326,324.
In other words, that is a property tax increase.
The meeting documentation states the rate will stay about the same. That is no comfort to your wallet if your property increased in value. If politicians really didn’t want to increase property taxes the rate would decrease so you don’t pay more.
The property tax rate is set by the Assessor’s office based on what Normal wants to collect. The rate is immaterial if the value of your house increased let’s say 5%. Your property taxes are going up!
Politicians use bait and switch game so they can claim the rate stayed the same. (Sometimes they don’t even keep the rate the same! See Bloomington!)
In case your can’t read where the arrow is pointing:
Scott Preston voted for a higher levy, that means he voted to raise your taxes. Show him your tax bill when you get in May. The Town of Normal portion will be higher if the value of your property increased.
The Town of Normal wanted more money from it’s property owners. Preston complied with their request. Preston was re-elected less than 1 year ago, he already broke a campaign promise.
Notice who voted NO?
Ask Preston why he voted yes! He will tell you the rate didn’t go up. Explain to him the rate is immaterial to how much you pay. He must not know that.
Constant game that taxing bodies play. They have no control over the tax rate period! They can only request a dollar amount in the tax levy. See whether it increases and that tells you all you need to know. This game plus adding line items for pensions will insure that taxes will go up every year.
Don’t forget his hotel bill to the town of Normal. Doesn’t seem to matter, the Dan Brady rhino machine keeps him in office. Kathy too!
well whaddabout Tari Renner plane ticket for his gf to Japan ? That plane ticket ticket was way more than cheap motel room
You might be hearing more about that one soon.
It is campaign lies like this that make people distrust politicians. I voted for this liar because the Republican Party endorsed him. What the hell Connie Beard!!!
Send me an email please
Preston should explain his reversal on his campaign promise. Please ask him and publish his answer for us, if he even responds.
Like I stated, he will say the rate is the same. In his world that means he didn’t raise taxes.
If the rate stayed the same, he didn’t raise taxes. That’s how it works in the entire world, not his. Property values going up is a positive thing and also out of the direct control of a town council. I disagree with him a lot too but I don’t understand your logic
The Council doesn’t set the rate, so your logic is flawed.