By Howard Packowitz
BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington city leaders can boast they’re holding the line on property taxes for all city government functions except for the public library.
The city council Monday night will review a proposed $4.8 million tax levy for the library, to be collected next year. That’s $140,493 more than the previous year’s levy, costing an extra $4.17 for the owner of a $165,000 home.
A staff report to the council said the library needs at least $2 milllion in repairs over the next five years, including roof replacement, new furniture, and carpet.
The library’s proposed tax rate is about 26 cents per $100 assessed valuation, almost a penny above the previous year’s rate.
The staff’s report noted the library’s tax rate is considerably lower than other Central Illinois communities including Normal, Peoria, Urbana, and Champaign.
Staffers estimate the larger city government levy at $20,061,384, and a tax rate of $1.08 per $100 assessed valuation. Both are unchanged.
The city expects no change in the levy to cover police and fire pensions, which totals about $8.2 million.
In Normal, leaders plan to raise property taxes to cover about a $640,000 increase in pension costs for public safety workers. The average homeowner in Normal would pay $44 more next year.
Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]
