Michele -The total amount of the city's portion of the property tax levy is the amount needed to operate after other revenues (fees fines, sales taxes, water bills etc) are projected. The 2008 2009 amount is $38 million. Keep in mind, the cost to run the city is $219 million.

$38 million is then assessed to all Evanston property taxpayers based on the assessed value of their property.

No matter what the assessed values are – the city only gets the $38 million it levied. If the assessed values in the city go up a gazillion dollars or down a gazillion, the assessor can only assess Evanston taxpayers the $38 million. There is no windfall and no shortfall. The city gets no more or less money than it levies. Of course some don't pay but they are taxed. While some bills went up, plenty went down, believe it or not. All based on assessed value of the property and the various rates and equalization factors. Look at the right hand column of your 2008 2nd installment bill – you can see the formula used to calculate your share of the the tax from all taxing bodies. It is a good lesson to compare your bill with someone else.

I am setting up a board for tax discussions because it is important to flush out issues and questions such as yours.

Don’t forget:
Participate in the community budget process – in person or on line
http://www.cityofevanston.org/budget/

Everything you could ever want to know about the budget is on line.
 


Just for the record let’s say your tax for this 2nd installment is $2900, 19.7% of that bill is collected by the City of Evanston or about $571. The rest goes to the other 13 taxing units. The assessed value
of your home is the basis for the share of taxes you pay.

Mindy - if you want the exemption to apply to this bill - run to the skokie court house and it will apply to this installment. You will be sent a new tax bill prior to the payment due date.

squirrel "carving" our pumpkin

fabulous, Kristin. Made my day.

We received the 10-year owner exemption form earlier this year. Had no idea what it was - initially thought it was the kind of scam mortgage lenders send out. Checked thoroughly. Legit. Sent in and it did appear on the property tax statement. I was under the impression that, like a homeowners exemption, it was automatically applied every year until you moved, and did not require annual re-application. If nobody knows for sure, I can check with the County assessor's office. Definitely a plus for many of us in the 8th, since a lot of people here live in their homes 10-years and longer.

Must apply every year

That ad blasting St. Francis hospital is from AFSCME, which I believe is the same union representing city workers.

Any thoughts?

Edited by author 11-05-2009 10:22 PM
Makes me rethink the value of going to privatized garbage collection.

These AFSME creeps are really behaving like thugs only thugs with union dues to waste on high priced TV ads.

Don't know why anyone at city hall would want to be associated with those ads. I blame every member. Shame on AFSME and Shame on Jan for supporting them.

Tad - sorry for the earlier brief reply. The reason you must apply every year is because the exemption is pegged to your occupancy and income. You must provide the affidavit every year to swear to those 2 facts.

I feel that we all have a moral obligation to let everyone who is eligible for this know that it is a "must apply for" exemption.

Sorry for blabbing on and on - If you have not been to the Little Wok on Main Street in the Sam's, Food 4 Less Shopping Center, you mus go. It is where 9 fish was and in the row with Starbucks and the chicken place.

It is great.

Little Wok is the best. Go for the chicken almond ding.. You won't regret it..........

I've seen negative ads on the back of buses for some time now blasting NBC news. It is sponsored by a union. It shows this jacked-up looking peacock and that is what grabs our attention. The wording says that NBC news is unfair to it's workers.

I finally started to put papers together for the Long Term Owners Exemption and found that I had received in the mail and filed a form in May of this year. I also noted, in very small type, the words "Long-Time Homowner" in the right margin of the space where the name and address appears on the part of the tax form you keep. I assume this means that this exemption was figured in my taxes. You should look on your bills for this message.

I actually had a good experience with the county treasurers office in downtown Chicago yesterday. To make a long story short, the post office failed to deliver a property tax bill and I got no satisfaction from the carrier or the people at the post office. So I went to get a new copy of the bill, and at the same time, try to change the mailing address. I arrived a few minutes before 9 and found the office already open and business being done. When I asked they said they opened about 8:30 (30 minutes before the posted time). There were plenty of helpful people there; one to explain what I needed to do and two others at the work areas where I took my paperwork. Total elapsed time inside - about 15 minutes. Say what you will about the county government, the treasurers office has it together and was very helpful.

I just got back from the Skokie assessor's office. I waited less than 1 hour to apply for long term homeowners and senior exemption which my husband is entitled to. They were not going to give it to us until I mentioned we had received it on the previous bill and unfortunately, he is not getting any younger! BTW-you cannot receive both the senior freeze and the long term. For the senior freeze, income must be no more than $55,000

/m17507 Mike I suggested a review of the 2nd installments right hand column - that is the formula for arriving at the amount you must pay.

Jeri - I too found the people at the Skokie office very helpful. If a person is eligible for either the freeze or the longtime occupant exemption, the assessors office calculates both and you are awarded the exemption with the greater savings.

Has anyone heard from our local assessor lately? Speaking of your taxes, she is still spending your tax dollars.

Ann, what would you or any of the other readers, regarding a car or van driven by a district 202 (Evanston high school) employee who comes to pick up a special needs child in the mornings and beeps their horn...every single morning until the kid (who is usually late) comes downstairs? Isn't there a noise ordinance or something? The grandmother yells out the window, "he's coming down in a few minutes", that's another annoyance. There has been a couple of arguments between neighbors who are fed up with the beeping and the driver of the van or car. I know it seems minor, but if we're lucky enough to get a day off when there's school, I like to sleep past 7:15 in the morning. Please advise.