There might be good news for taxpayers who live in Aurora and in other cities that make up Will County, Illinois – No property tax increase during 2011.
While there are no guarantees in life, it looks as though Will County will not increase the county portion of the property tax bill during 2011.
As part of the process for creating the 2011 budget, the Will County Board voted against a property tax increase. County Republicans insisted that the 2010 budget be carried over in over to keep spending flat. There was overwhelming support to do this with the final vote coming in at 22-4 to hold property taxes at the current level.
This news was not well received by unions because the plan does allocate any money for employee raises. A representative from the county’s largest union stated that Will County was obligated to fund employee raises of 2.5% under the current collective bargaining agreement – that did not happen. The union official further stated that the raises are required to be paid, even when the contract expires.
The scenario being faced by Will County is being repeated across the country as local governments struggle with the high cost of wages and benefits under existing agreements with unions that represent government workers.
The Will County unions have stated that they will take whatever action is necessary to ensure the raises are received.
County officials struggled to understand the union position during the current tough economy with depressed home values and foreclosures. One Will County official stated that the only solutions being offered by union leaders were raising taxes – something that government officials and many others considered to be an irresponsible option at the present time.
If you live in Aurora or elsewhere in Will County the best way to keep your property taxes under control is to make sure your property tax assessment is accurate. ValueAppeal can help you save big on property taxes.
