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La Grange SD 105 official: filing error added $1.95 million to tax extension; staff proposes under-levy to credit taxpayers
Summary
District business director Steven J. Smidl said a signed abatement resolution was not filed with the County Clerk when the 2024 levy was submitted, causing $1,952,680.41 in bond charges to be included; staff recommends under-levying the 2025 levy so credits appear on 2026 tax bills.
La Grange Elementary School District 105 business director Steven J. Smidl told residents the district made an administrative filing error that resulted in $1,952,680.41 in alternate revenue bond payments being included in the 2024 tax extension.
“Inadvertent increase in your property tax bill” was the phrase Smidl used in a written explanation distributed to taxpayers; in that letter he said the signed abatement resolution that should have excluded the bonds was not filed with the County Clerk when the levy was submitted. Smidl wrote, “I sincerely apologize for the situation and take full responsibility.”
Smidl said the district and its bond counsel consulted the County Clerk and determined the fastest corrective step is to under-levy the upcoming 2025 property tax levy by the amount erroneously included, plus an additional buffer. He recommended under-levying by $2,147,680.41 — the $1,952,680.41 that was wrongly included plus roughly 10% (about $195,000) to cover market-value adjustments and interest.
Under Smidl’s proposal, taxpayers would receive the credit through reduced tax installments beginning with the first installment bill in spring 2026 and concluding with the final tax bill in the summer; the district said it chose that approach over issuing rebate checks because of additional verification delays in the treasurer’s office. Smidl told the open forum the district will keep the mistakenly collected funds in the Debt Service fund and continue to abate bond payments in future levy years.
The special open-forum meeting was held Nov. 17, 2025, at Gurrie Middle School so Smidl could explain the error and answer residents’ questions. The minutes record that no formal board action to adopt the recommended under-levy was taken during the forum; the meeting closed after public sign-in and Smidl’s presentation.
