City of Waukegan Introduces 0% Tax Levy Increase for 2024
At the October 16 Waukegan City Council Meeting, Waukegan Mayor Ann Taylor announced the City of Waukegan would not increase the property tax levy placed upon Waukeganites for 2024.
While the City Council did not vote yet on the 0% levy increase, the administration was required to make the public announcement under Illinois municipal law. This 0% levy increase is the third year consecutively under the Taylor administration that taxpayers of Waukegan are not being asked to pay more in property taxes.
While making this announcement, Taylor said, “This levy means that each year since I became Mayor, we have been working hard to find efficiencies in government. While consumers and businesses have been dealing with sky-high inflation, here in Waukegan, we are not asking anything more from residents and businesses in property taxes. This is the third year in a row that this administration has not touched the tax levy, which is great news for taxpayers’ pocketbooks.”
Other units of local government in Waukegan can still raise their tax levies, but joining the City of Waukegan this year is Waukegan School District 60, which also announced no property tax increase for 2024.
Last year, the city had nine outstanding general obligation bonds with a payment total of $3,981,388. This year, by paying off one bond, the payment has been reduced over 17% to $3,289,400, representing a savings of $691,988 that helps offset increases in costs in other areas.
Commenting on the upcoming budget for the next fiscal year, Alderman Victor Felix of the 4th Ward said, “We are on budget, and we (the city) is doing good.”
2nd Ward Alderman Jose A. Guzman thanked Waukegan’s Interim Finance Director Don Schultz and staff for delivering this zero change property tax levy as well, saying, “No property tax increases for the City of Waukegan.”
Moving forward
The City Council will next convene on Monday, November 6, with the Council set to take a vote on Mayor Taylor’s veto of the passed amendments to the city’s salary ordinance.
