Taxes: Back to Square One

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The introduction to a story on WSIL TV-3 about the City of Du Quoin having to levy for real estate taxes this year began something like this "People who live in the City of Du Quoin will see a 300 percent increase in their taxes during the coming year."

Phones began ringing of the hook from people who were left wondering if their $1,000 tax bill will go to $3,000

That's not the case at all.

What will happen in the coming year is the fact that the City of Du Quoin will levy $392,000 for real estate property taxes this coming year, a marked increase from the zero it levied two years ago and the $140,000 it levied last .

It approximates a 250 to 300 percent increase in the levy from the year before, but only on the city's share of taxes, not on your entire tax bill.

For most residents, what the city levies is about 15 percent of your total tax bill.

So, your tax bill will certainly increase somewhat, but not by the numbers some believe in the reference to the broadcast.

The problem is not specific to who is elected mayor in the coming year, but rather is specific to the problem of rising health care costs and funding the pension system.

The city council years ago voted to abate real estate taxes after imposing a half-cent sales tax to replace the real estate taxes.

Costs still rose, but they were offset by the fact that the city was able to capture over $300,000 for two years from set-aside money to fund the local share of bonding for the new high school.

After the state approved capital development funds for the school, those tax proceeds had to go back to the schools.

Now, the city finds itself in the position of having to cover that lost revenue.

Again, the city's share of the tax will will increase, but not your entire tax bill.

Next week, the Du Quoin Evening Call will completely explain what the levy will mean to local taxpayers.

In the meantime, the issue has gone "viral" on places like Facebook.