HB2697 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB100 09376 HLH 19538 b

100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
HB2697

Introduced , by Rep. William Davis

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

35 ILCS 200/18-190
105 ILCS 5/17-2	from Ch. 122, par. 17-2

Amends the School Code and the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law in the Property Tax Code. Provides that a tax levied for educational purposes for the 2017 levy year and all subsequent levy years by any school district subject to the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law may be extended at a rate exceeding the rate established for educational purposes by referendum or statute, provided that the rate does not cause the school district to exceed its limiting rate under the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law for that levy year. Effective immediately.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IMPACT NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning revenue.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Property Tax Code is amended by changing Section 18-190 as follows:

(35 ILCS 200/18-190)

Sec. 18-190. Direct referendum; new rate or increased limiting rate.

(a) If a new rate is authorized by statute to be imposed without referendum or is subject to a backdoor referendum, as defined in Section 28-2 of the Election Code, the governing body of the affected taxing district before levying the new rate shall submit the new rate to direct referendum under the provisions of this Section and of Article 28 of the Election Code. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the levies authorized by Sections 21-110 and 21-110.1 of the Illinois Pension Code shall not be considered new rates; however, nothing in this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly authorizes a taxing district to increase its limiting rate or its aggregate extension without first obtaining referendum approval as provided in this Section. Notwithstanding the provisions, requirements, or limitations of any other law, any tax levied for the 2005 levy year and all subsequent levy years by any taxing district subject to this Law may be extended at a rate exceeding the rate established for that tax by referendum or statute, provided that the rate does not exceed the statutory ceiling above which the tax is not authorized to be further increased either by referendum or in any other manner, except that any tax levied for educational purposes for the 2017 levy year and all subsequent levy years by any school district subject to this Law may be extended at a rate exceeding the rate established for educational purposes by referendum or statute, provided that the rate does not cause the school district to exceed its limiting rate for that levy year. Notwithstanding the provisions, requirements, or limitations of any other law, all taxing districts subject to this Law shall follow the provisions of this Section whenever seeking referenda approval after March 21, 2006 to (i) levy a new tax rate authorized by statute or (ii) increase the limiting rate applicable to the taxing district. All taxing districts subject to this Law are authorized to seek referendum approval of each proposition described and set forth in this Section.

The proposition seeking to obtain referendum approval to levy a new tax rate as authorized in clause (i) shall be in substantially the following form:

Shall ... (insert legal name, number, if any, and county or counties of taxing district and geographic or other common name by which a school or community college district is known and referred to), Illinois, be authorized to levy a new tax for ... purposes and have an additional tax of ...% of the equalized assessed value of the taxable property therein extended for such purposes? The votes must be recorded as "Yes" or "No".

The proposition seeking to obtain referendum approval to increase the limiting rate as authorized in clause (ii) shall be in substantially the following form:

Shall the limiting rate under the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law for ... (insert legal name, number, if any, and county or counties of taxing district and geographic or other common name by which a school or community college district is known and referred to), Illinois, be increased by an additional amount equal to ...% above the limiting rate for the purpose of...(insert purpose) for levy year ... (insert the most recent levy year for which the limiting rate of the taxing district is known at the time the submission of the proposition is initiated by the taxing district) and be equal to ...% of the equalized assessed value of the taxable property therein for levy year(s) (insert each levy year for which the increase will be applicable, which years must be consecutive and may not exceed 4)?

The votes must be recorded as "Yes" or "No".

The ballot for any proposition submitted pursuant to this Section shall have printed thereon, but not as a part of the proposition submitted, only the following supplemental information (which shall be supplied to the election authority by the taxing district) in substantially the following form:

(1) The approximate amount of taxes extendable at the most recently extended limiting rate is $..., and the approximate amount of taxes extendable if the proposition is approved is $....

(2) For the ... (insert the first levy year for which the new rate or increased limiting rate will be applicable) levy year the approximate amount of the additional tax extendable against property containing a single family residence and having a fair market value at the time of the referendum of $100,000 is estimated to be $....

(3) Based upon an average annual percentage increase (or decrease) in the market value of such property of %... (insert percentage equal to the average annual percentage increase or decrease for the prior 3 levy years, at the time the submission of the proposition is initiated by the taxing district, in the amount of (A) the equalized assessed value of the taxable property in the taxing district less (B) the new property included in the equalized assessed value), the approximate amount of the additional tax extendable against such property for the ... levy year is estimated to be $... and for the ... levy year is estimated to be $ ....

(4) If the proposition is approved, the aggregate extension for ... (insert each levy year for which the increase will apply) will be determined by the limiting rate set forth in the proposition, rather than the otherwise applicable limiting rate calculated under the provisions of the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (commonly known as the Property Tax Cap Law). The approximate amount of taxes extendable shown in paragraph (1) shall be computed upon the last known equalized assessed value of taxable property in the taxing district (at the time the submission of the proposition is initiated by the taxing district). Paragraph (3) shall be included only if the increased limiting rate will be applicable for more than one levy year and shall list each levy year for which the increased limiting rate will be applicable. The additional tax shown for each levy year shall be the approximate dollar amount of the increase over the amount of the most recently completed extension at the time the submission of the proposition is initiated by the taxing district. The approximate amount of the additional taxes extendable shown in paragraphs (2) and (3) shall be calculated by multiplying $100,000 (the fair market value of the property without regard to any property tax exemptions) by (i) the percentage level of assessment prescribed for that property by statute, or by ordinance of the county board in counties that classify property for purposes of taxation in accordance with Section 4 of Article IX of the Illinois Constitution; (ii) the most recent final equalization factor certified to the county clerk by the Department of Revenue at the time the taxing district initiates the submission of the proposition to the electors; and (iii) either the new rate or the amount by which the limiting rate is to be increased. This amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly is intended to clarify the existing requirements of this Section, and shall not be construed to validate any prior non-compliant referendum language. Paragraph (4) shall be included if the proposition concerns a limiting rate increase but shall not be included if the proposition concerns a new rate. Any notice required to be published in connection with the submission of the proposition shall also contain this supplemental information and shall not contain any other supplemental information regarding the proposition. Any error, miscalculation, or inaccuracy in computing any amount set forth on the ballot and in the notice that is not deliberate shall not invalidate or affect the validity of any proposition approved. Notice of the referendum shall be published and posted as otherwise required by law, and the submission of the proposition shall be initiated as provided by law.

If a majority of all ballots cast on the proposition are in favor of the proposition, the following provisions shall be applicable to the extension of taxes for the taxing district:

(A) a new tax rate shall be first effective for the levy year in which the new rate is approved;

(B) if the proposition provides for a new tax rate, the taxing district is authorized to levy a tax after the canvass of the results of the referendum by the election authority for the purposes for which the tax is authorized;

(C) a limiting rate increase shall be first effective for the levy year in which the limiting rate increase is approved, provided that the taxing district may elect to have a limiting rate increase be effective for the levy year prior to the levy year in which the limiting rate increase is approved unless the extension of taxes for the prior levy year occurs 30 days or less after the canvass of the results of the referendum by the election authority in any county in which the taxing district is located;

(D) in order for the limiting rate increase to be first effective for the levy year prior to the levy year of the referendum, the taxing district must certify its election to have the limiting rate increase be effective for the prior levy year to the clerk of each county in which the taxing district is located not more than 2 days after the date the results of the referendum are canvassed by the election authority; and

(E) if the proposition provides for a limiting rate increase, the increase may be effective regardless of whether the proposition is approved before or after the taxing district adopts or files its levy for any levy year.

Rates required to extend taxes on levies subject to a backdoor referendum in each year there is a levy are not new rates or rate increases under this Section if a levy has been made for the fund in one or more of the preceding 3 levy years. Changes made by this amendatory Act of 1997 to this Section in reference to rates required to extend taxes on levies subject to a backdoor referendum in each year there is a levy are declarative of existing law and not a new enactment.

(b) Whenever other applicable law authorizes a taxing district subject to the limitation with respect to its aggregate extension provided for in this Law to issue bonds or other obligations either without referendum or subject to backdoor referendum, the taxing district may elect for each separate bond issuance to submit the question of the issuance of the bonds or obligations directly to the voters of the taxing district, and if the referendum passes the taxing district is not required to comply with any backdoor referendum procedures or requirements set forth in the other applicable law. The direct referendum shall be initiated by ordinance or resolution of the governing body of the taxing district, and the question shall be certified to the proper election authorities in accordance with the provisions of the Election Code.

(Source: P.A. 97-1087, eff. 8-24-12; 98-1088, eff. 8-26-14.)

Section 10. The School Code is amended by changing Section 17-2 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/17-2) (from Ch. 122, par. 17-2)

Sec. 17-2. Tax levies; purposes; rates. Except as otherwise provided in Articles 12 and 13 of this Act, and except as provided in Section 17-2.2e of this Act, the following maximum rates shall apply to all taxes levied after August 10, 1965, in districts having a population of less than 500,000 inhabitants, including those districts organized under Article 11 of the School Code. The school board of any district having a population of less than 500,000 inhabitants may levy a tax annually, at not to exceed the maximum rates and for the specified purposes, upon all the taxable property of the district at the value, as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue as follows:

(1) districts maintaining only grades 1 through 8, .92% for educational purposes and .25% for operations and maintenance purposes;

(2) districts maintaining only grades 9 through 12, .92% for educational purposes and .25% for operations and maintenance purposes;

(3) districts maintaining grades 1 through 12, 1.63% for the 1985-86 school year, 1.68% for the 1986-87 school year, 1.75% for the 1987-88 school year and 1.84% for the 1988-89 school year and thereafter for educational purposes and .405% for the 1989-90 school year, .435% for the 1990-91 school year, .465% for the 1991-92 school year, and .50% for the 1992-93 school year and thereafter for operations and maintenance purposes;

(4) all districts, 0.75% for capital improvement purposes (which is in addition to the levy for operations and maintenance purposes), which tax is to be levied, accumulated for not more than 6 years, and spent for capital improvement purposes (including but not limited to the construction of a new school building or buildings or the purchase of school grounds on which any new school building is to be constructed or located, or both) only in accordance with Section 17-2.3 of this Act;

(5) districts maintaining only grades 1 through 8, .12% for transportation purposes, provided that districts maintaining only grades kindergarten through 8 which have an enrollment of at least 2600 students may levy, subject to Section 17-2.2, at not to exceed a maximum rate of .20% for transportation purposes for any school year in which the number of students requiring transportation in the district exceeds by at least 2% the number of students requiring transportation in the district during the preceding school year, as verified in the district's claim for pupil transportation and reimbursement and as certified by the State Board of Education to the county clerk of the county in which such district is located not later than November 15 following the submission of such claim; districts maintaining only grades 9 through 12, .12% for transportation purposes; and districts maintaining grades 1 through 12, .14% for the 1985-86 school year, .16% for the 1986-87 school year, .18% for the 1987-88 school year and .20% for the 1988-89 school year and thereafter, for transportation purposes;

(6) districts providing summer classes, .15% for educational purposes, subject to Section 17-2.1 of this Act.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a tax levied for educational purposes for the 2017 levy year and all subsequent levy years by any school district subject to the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law in the Property Tax Code may be extended at a rate exceeding the rate established for educational purposes by referendum or statute, provided that the rate does not cause the school district to exceed its limiting rate under the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law for that levy year.

Whenever any special charter school district operating grades 1 through 12, has organized or shall organize under the general school law, the district so organized may continue to levy taxes at not to exceed the rate at which taxes were last actually extended by the special charter district, except that if such rate at which taxes were last actually extended by such special charter district was less than the maximum rate for districts maintaining grades 1 through 12 authorized under this Section, such special charter district nevertheless may levy taxes at a rate not to exceed the maximum rate for districts maintaining grades 1 through 12 authorized under this Section, and except that if any such district maintains only grades 1 through 8, the board may levy, for educational purposes, at a rate not to exceed the maximum rate for elementary districts authorized under this Section.

Maximum rates before or after established in excess of those prescribed shall not be affected by the amendatory Act of 1965.

(Source: P.A. 99-908, eff. 12-16-16.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.