Sycamore resident tells board property taxes are 'obscene,' cites rising district budget figures
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Summary
Resident Ron Milner told the Sycamore board that rising property taxes are a burden and cited district budget numbers he said had grown from $45 million in 2016 to $72 million in 2026; the board did not dispute the figures during public comment.
Ron Milner, who identified himself as a Sycamore resident at 2439 Dustin Drive, addressed the Sycamore CUSD 427 Board of Education during public comment, saying his property taxes average about $9,700 and urged the board to seek different revenue avenues for taxpayers.
Milner stated the district budget was about $45,000,000 in 2016 and had grown to "$72,000,000" in 2026, adding that "the vast majority" of spending goes to salaries and benefits (he cited "$56,000,000"). He characterized the tax burden as "obscene" for homeowners and urged the board to look for alternatives to reduce pressure on taxpayers.
The board listened without debate (as stated in the meeting rules for public comment). No board member offered immediate verification or correction of the numerical claims during the public-comment period; the transcript records the board's procedural acknowledgment and thanks after his remarks.
What the transcript shows and does not show: the numbers and characterizations are assertions by a member of the public and were not corroborated on the record during the meeting. The article presents those numbers as claims made by Milner rather than verified expenditures.
Next steps: The board did not respond in the meeting record; fiscal and budget details would be subject to follow-up through published budget documents and inquiries to the district's business services office.