Cass County Board to Hold Truth In Taxation Hearing Next Week Over Health Department Levy

By Benjamin Cox on November 1, 2022 at 6:03pm

The Cass County Board will be holding a truth in taxation hearing next week.

Board Chairman Michael Barnett says the County Health Department’s tax levy is being changed due to a one-time appropriation from the American Rescue Plan Act: “Last year, Cass County received some ARPA funds, and we asked the County Health Department to reduce their tax levy. We wanted to reduce the overall real estate taxes for the county, and they graciously did. Then, we used the American Rescue Plan Act funds to reimburse them. We reduced the Cass County Health Department levy by $128,000, and additionally, we reduced our general fund levy by $357,000. The following year, this year, of course the health department needed their $128,000, so we went ahead and included that. Of course, that was $128,000 more than 0 from the prior year, so that’s why this is happening.”

Any time a tax levy is increased by more than 5%, it automatically triggers a public hearing under Illinois law so the taxing body’s administration can explain the increase.

Barnett explains that it’s not really going to cause an increase to anyone’s tax bill. It’s simply returning things to their prior existence pre-American Rescue Plan Act funding: “What we also did was also leave total the county real estate tax levy at the same amount that it was for last year. At least for the county real estate taxes, there’s a 0 increase in the overall taxes. With the county-wide assessment going up approximately 7% in the past year, hopefully at least our portion of the real estate taxes – the taxpayers in Cass County will receive a decrease in taxes.”

Barnett says the Health Department’s levy is one of 9 separate levies managed by the county. He says the other levies remain the same. The truth in taxation hearing will be held Monday, November 7th at 6:30 at the Cass County Courthouse in Virginia.