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Arcola council adopts tax-rate ordinance and separate debt, operations portions
Summary
The Arcola City Council voted to adopt portions of the property tax rate—7.1128¢ for debt service and 57.8491¢ for maintenance and operations—combined in an ordinance setting a 64.9619¢ per $100 assessed valuation rate for FY 2024–25; the city attorney said required statutory wording can make an unchanged rate 'appear' as an increase.
The Arcola City Council voted Tuesday to adopt portions of the city's property tax rate and an ordinance levying ad valorem taxes for fiscal year 2024–25.
City attorney Justin Pruitt read the statute-required language and the proposed motions, asking the council to adopt 7.1128¢ per $100 of assessed valuation for the debt-service portion and 57.8491¢ per $100 for maintenance and operations. "There's specific words you have to say," Pruitt said, explaining the statutory wording; "I'm gonna use a word in this statement that's required by law, and it's gonna say that we're increasing the tax rate. That's not necessarily true." Council moved, seconded and voted to adopt each portion and to approve the ordinance establishing a combined rate of 64.9619¢ per $100 (noted by the attorney as effectively a 7.38 percent increase under the statutory calculation). The motion to adopt the ordinance was moved by council member Biggs and seconded by council member Jones; the council voted in favor and the measures passed.
Chair emphasized afterward that the council "did not increase your tax rate" and that rising property values, not a change in the city's nominal rate, can increase individual tax bills. The chair said additional revenue will be used to address local infrastructure needs, including drainage improvements and lift station repairs.
Votes and formal actions recorded on the record included separate approvals of the debt-service portion and the maintenance/operations portion, and adoption of the ordinance to levy ad valorem taxes for FY 2024–25.
