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Evanston holds Truth in Taxation hearing on proposed 2026 levy amid public calls to avoid abatements and follow pension policy
Summary
At a Nov. 3 special meeting, Evanston officials opened a Truth in Taxation public hearing on the proposed FY2026 property tax levy, presented a staff summary of a 12.9% levy increase (including library), and heard public objections urging use of reserves and existing pension funding policy rather than raising taxes or granting large abatements.
The Evanston City Council convened a Truth in Taxation public hearing on Nov. 3 to solicit comment on the proposed FY2026 property tax levy, which staff said would raise the total levy by $7.3 million (a 12.9% increase including the library).
The hearing produced multiple public comments urging restraint and pointing to alternative revenue sources. "You'll be asking every resident and business to reach into their pocket and pay more in property tax, not because pension costs have gone up, but because city leadership refused to follow its own rules," said Jack Mortel, president of the Evanston Firefighters Pension Trust Fund, referring to Resolution 45-R-23, the city—s 2023 public-safety pension funding policy. Mortel told the…
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