70 ILCS 755/20

(70 ILCS 755/20)

Sec. 20. Property tax.

(a) The district organized under this Act shall, by ordinance or resolution, petition the county board to levy a property tax to accomplish its goals, purposes, and obligations as set forth in Section 5 of this Act or to provide for the payment of debt incurred in accordance with this Act.

(b) The manner of levying the tax authorized by subsection (a) shall be as provided in this Section.

(c) A property tax may be levied by the district at a rate not to exceed 0.7% to produce revenues required to accomplish its goals, purposes, and obligations as set forth in Section 5 of this Act. Before the first levy of taxes in the district, notice shall be given and a hearing shall be held under the provisions of subsections (d) and (e). For purposes of this subsection, the notice shall include:

(1) the time and place of the hearing;

(2) a notification that all interested persons, including all persons owning taxable real property located within the district, shall be given an opportunity to be heard at the hearing regarding the tax levy and an opportunity to file objections to the amount of the tax levy; and

(3) the maximum rate of taxes to be extended in any year and may include a maximum number of years the taxes will be levied.

(d) After the first levy of taxes, taxes may be extended without additional hearings, provided the taxes shall not exceed the rate specified in the notice and the taxes shall not be extended for a period longer than that outlined in subsection (b) of Section 5. The district, by ordinance or resolution, may petition the county board to increase the rate of tax by no more than 0.1%. Any such increase must be approved by the county board and by the electors.

The tax under this subsection may not be increased until, by ordinance or resolution of the county board, the question of imposing the tax has been submitted to the electors of the county at a regular election and approved by a majority of the electors voting on the question.

The election authority must submit the question in substantially the following form:

Shall Cass County be authorized to increase the property tax rate to be used exclusively for the operation of the Beardstown Regional Flood Prevention District by (insert up to 0.1%)?

The election authority must record the votes as "Yes" or "No".

If a majority of the electors voting on the question vote in the affirmative, then the county may, thereafter, increase the rate of tax.

The rate of tax may be increased more than once under this subsection, but not at the same election.

(d) Within a period of 61 to 120 calendar days following the adoption of the ordinance establishing the district, the district shall fix a time and a place for a public hearing. Notice of the hearing shall be given by publication and mailing. Notice by publication shall be given by publication at least once not less than 15 days before the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation within the district. Notice by mailing shall be given by depositing the notice in the United States mail addressed to the person or persons in whose name the general taxes for the last preceding year were paid on each lot, block, tract, or parcel of land lying within the district. The notice shall be mailed not less than 10 days before the time set for the public hearing. In the event taxes for the last preceding year were not paid, the notice shall be sent to the person last listed on the tax rolls before that year as the owner of the property.

(e) At the public hearing, any interested person, including all persons owning taxable real property located within the district, may file with the district written objections to and may be heard orally in respect to any issues embodied in the notice. The district shall hear and determine all protests and objections at the hearing, and the hearing may be adjourned or recessed to another date without further notice other than a motion to be entered upon the minutes fixing the time and place of its adjournment.

(f) Bonds secured by the full faith and credit of the district may be issued as described in paragraph (10) of Section 15. Bonds, when so issued, shall be retired by the levy of taxes as specified in subsection (c), against all of the taxable real property included in the district as provided in the ordinance or resolution authorizing the issuance of the bonds. The county clerk shall annually extend taxes against all of the taxable property situated in the county and contained in the district in amounts sufficient to pay maturing principal and interest of those bonds.

Before the issuance of bonds, notice shall be given and a hearing shall be held under the provisions of subsections (d) and (e). For purposes of this subsection, the notice shall include:

(1) the time and place of the hearing;

(2) a notification that all interested persons, including all persons owning taxable real property located within the district, will be given an opportunity to be heard at the hearing regarding the district's decision to issue the bonds and an opportunity to file objections to the issuance of the bonds; and

(3) the maximum amount of bonds proposed to be issued, the maximum period of time over which the bonds shall be retired, and the maximum interest rate the bonds shall bear.

The questions of the property tax levy and the issuance of bonds may be considered together at one hearing. Any bonds issued shall not exceed the number of bonds, the interest rate, and the period of extension set forth in the notice, unless an additional hearing is held. No bonds issued under this Section shall be regarded as indebtedness of the district for the purpose of any limitation imposed by any law.

(g) If a petition signed by at least 30% of the electors residing within the district and by at least 30% of the owners of record of the land included within the boundaries of the district is filed with the district within 60 days following the final adjournment of the public hearing objecting to the levy or imposition of the property tax or issuance of bonds, no such tax may be levied or imposed or no such bonds may be issued. The subject matter of the petition filed by the electors and owners shall not be proposed by the district within the next year. Each resident of the district registered to vote at the time of the public hearing held with regard to the district shall be considered an elector. Each person in whose name legal title to land included within the boundaries of the district is held according to the records of the county in which the land is located shall be considered an owner of record. Owners of record shall be determined at the time of the public hearing held with regard to the district. Land owned in the name of a land trust, corporation, estate, or partnership shall be considered to have a single owner of record.

(h) If a property tax is levied, the tax shall be extended by the county clerk in the district in the manner provided by the Property Tax Code based on assessed values as established under that Act. A special fund shall be created in the county treasury that shall be known as the Beardstown Regional Flood Prevention District Property Tax Fund. The county treasurer shall collect and deposit into the Fund the revenues generated by the property tax. The county treasurer shall, within 30 days of receiving tax revenues, disburse all revenues to the district.

(Source: P.A. 97-309, eff. 8-11-11.)