Proposed library tax increase has DeKalb leaders divided

DeKALB – DeKalb Mayor Cohen Barnes is decrying the plans of the library board to seek a property tax levy increase of nearly 35%, seeing the impact it’s having after the city found a way to save the average homeowner $100 on their property tax bill.

“It impacts our overall levy and the impression people have of how the city of DeKalb is doing,” Barnes said.

According to proposed numbers which are not yet final, the DeKalb Public Library board has requested a $1.18 million increase in their property tax levy, meaning taxpayers could pay about $50 more on their bills in the spring if approved.

In an interview with Shaw Local News Network on Thursday, Barnes said matters have changed since Tuesday night, however. He said he had a private discussion with library officials Wednesday morning.

“We had a great discussion as I mentioned with executive director Emily Faulkner and Deb [Booth] and Gary [Vander Meer] from the board at city hall for about two hours and really went through what it is that they’re looking at to justify the need of the levy they’re originally proposing and work through some options, some different ideas, as well as talking about what the future might look like for [equalized assessed valuations] going forward,” Barnes said. “It was a great conversation. They were completely open to further conversation about it. Ultimately, they believe there’s a great chance that they’ll be able to hold the taxpayer harmless in the levy that they’ll issue going forward.”

City officials have long argued for ways to bring down the total aggregate levy so it may be comparable to neighboring communities. In doing so, city leaders said they can better entice industries and larger developments to do business in DeKalb.

Under the city’s proposed 2024 property tax levy, the city is seeking a property tax levy of $8.3 million, an 8% increase over the previous year’s levy. Although the amount levied would be higher than last year, the rate would decrease from 0.81 in 2023 to 0.63 in 2024, documents show. City officials have said they’re able to collect more money via property taxes at a lower rate for taxpayers because of increased economic development on the south side.

But the city’s aggregate levy also includes a pass-through amount for the library. The library is proposing a 2024 levy of $4,566,452 or an increase of almost $1.18 million over the prior year’s levy of $3,387,911, documents show. The estimated 2024 library rate is 0.347, which makes for 2.57% lower than the 2023 library rate of 0.356. That means the average homeowner will owe $50 more to the library on their property tax bills in the spring, if approved.

City Manager Bill Nicklas said the city doesn’t have the authority to change the library’s proposed tax levy.

“In terms of the case law since 2008, or certainly in the last 10 years, has made it clear that we are a pass-through for the library’s levy,” Nicklas said. “That doesn’t mean that the council doesn’t have the ability to do something by meeting with principals at the library and library board to try to rollback a proposed levy that is larger by 400% than last year and more than twice the historic highest levy the library board has ever voted.”

In a 5-1 decision, a first-round vote on the property tax levy passed. Fourth Ward Alderman Greg Perkins was the lone ‘no’ vote. Sixth Ward Alderman Mike Verbic and 5th Ward Alderman Andre Powell were absent. City leaders decided that a second-round vote will take place at a later date.

Perkins, who is the city’s liaison to the library board, said he would be comfortable rejecting the city’s proposed property tax levy, if it includes the library’s pass-through amount, as presented.

“This is just so befuddling to me to be handed a million dollar bill with no justification as to why,” Perkins said.

City leaders said they would be meeting with library officials to discuss its property tax levy Wednesday.

The DeKalb library board intends to give consideration to its property tax levy during a special meeting, set for 6:30 p.m. Nov. 19 at the library, 309 Oak St., DeKalb.

This story was updated at 12:42 p.m. Nov. 15, 2024 to correct an earlier version which misstated the DeKalb library’s proposed property tax levy in relation to the city. This story was updated Nov. 16 to correct an earlier version which misstated the City Council vote tally.