By Joe Ragusa
NORMAL – Heartland Community College administrators plan on increasing the college’s property tax levy this year.
The community college’s board of trustees unanimously approved an 8.96 percent increase over the 2014 levy: $23.4 million compared to $21.4 million in 2014.
That’s an increase of about three cents per $100 dollars of Equalized Assessed Valuation (EAV). For a person who owns a property in McLean County worth $165,000, the levy increase means an extra $15.86 on the tax bill that will be issued next year.
Heartland Community College president Rob Widmer said there are a variety of factors playing into the tax increase.
“We’re feeling the pressure from high tuition, uncertainty on state funding and an opportunity for additional taxing authority as made available to use by our operational funds,” Widmer said.
Widmer said because those operational funds were below the state average, the college was rewarded with a greater ability to increase its tax levy. The estimated tax levy will be finalized with a final vote in at least 30 days.
The college could see a $3 million cut from the state and concerns that their increasing tuition, although Widmer said it’s tough to tell how bad the cut will really be because of the lack of a state budget.
Widmer said Heartland has committed about $190,000 to cover map grants in the Fall semester, but the college won’t be able to do the same in the Spring.
Joe Ragusa can be reached at joe.ragusa@cumulus.com.
