Residents press council on rising property assessments, veterans exemptions and city spending

At the March 25 O'Fallon City Council meeting, several residents used the public-comment period to urge local officials to press state authorities about rapid property assessment increases and the effect of veterans' exemptions on local tax burdens.

George Bamborough identified himself as a Braze Wood resident of O'Fallon and told the council his property value rose about 28% over five years due to state multipliers. He said he had contacted his local and state representatives and the township supervisor and that contesting an assessment requires a detailed 12-page form with information many homeowners lack.

"When the state is increasing your property value by 30% in 5 years, it really doesn't help any that the city is taking point 5%, point 4%," Bamborough said, adding he planned to bring the issue to the county board and township officials.

Ron Surgat (Ward 4) said his property taxes rose sharply in recent years and attributed part of the increase to increased veterans' disability exemptions being awarded, particularly for post-9/11 veterans. Surgat said he had contacted state legislators' offices and the Board of Review and urged the city to advocate for means-testing alternatives or broader tax-structure changes.

"You either means test it or you go ahead and you split out, you sever, you cut all academics out of the property tax bill," Surgat said, arguing for structural reform to shift some burdens off property owners.

Resident Vernal Ware (Ward 3) raised technical questions about Park Place — including the height of poles at a proposed driving range, traffic-flow changes on Bonita Drive and a warrant amount — and said he planned to return for the meeting's second public-comment period to continue his questions.

Several residents also questioned specific warrant expenditures and purchases the city had made; one speaker queried higher-than-expected municipal repair totals and asked why surplus items from a demolished center had not been redistributed.

Why this matters

Speakers framed the issue as a structural problem that exceeds the city's direct authority but said they wanted the city to press state and county officials for clearer rules and remedies. City leaders acknowledged they have contacted state associations (the Illinois Municipal League was mentioned) and are pursuing data from the county to clarify how exemptions and multipliers affect local tax bills.

What the council said

Mayor Moon and other council members acknowledged the county and state roles in assessments and said the city is collecting information and working with the Illinois Municipal League to pursue legislative remedies. The mayor said city finance staff are investigating additional impacts related to veterans' exemptions and that the city will seek county cooperation to obtain needed data.

Ending

Residents who raised questions asked for clearer, written explanations and for staff to follow up; council members encouraged residents to bring documentation to city staff for deeper review outside the public meeting. Several residents said they planned to raise the matter with county and state officials as well.