City of Sycamore City Council met Dec. 2.
Here is the agenda provided by the council:
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. INVOCATION
3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Led by students from North Elementary School
4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
5. AUDIENCE TO VISITORS
6. CONSENT AGENDA
A. Approval of the Minutes for the Regular City Council Meeting of November 18, 2019.
B. Payment of the Bills for December 2, 2019.
C. Close-out of a Façade Improvement Grant for Kishwaukee Bible Church at 201 W. State St.
7. PRESENTATION OF PETITIONS, COMMUNICATIONS, AND BILLS.
A. Annual Presentation of Service Awards to City of Sycamore Employees. Human and Administrative Resources Director Maggie Peck will Assist the City Manager in Presenting Awards to Employees with 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 Years of Continuous Service to the Citizens of Sycamore.
8. REPORTS OF OFFICERS
9. REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES
10. PUBLIC HEARINGS
A. A Public Hearing on the Proposed 2019 Corporate Property Tax Levy.
At the regular City Council meeting of November 18, 2019, the City Council directed the City Manager to prepare ordinances that would establish the 2019 City property tax levy. Ordinances 2019.36 through 2019.38 below establish the 2019 levy and abate debt service on certain bond issues. Each is presented for first reading only to give the public an opportunity to be heard on the basic levy issues and to consider the enactments that address them. Unless the Council directs otherwise, a second reading will be held on these ordinances on December 16th.
Based upon an estimated city-wide EAV of $472,578,869 in 2019—an increase of over $26 million in the City’s collective real estate wealth from 2018—the proposed corporate levy should result in a tax rate of $.90348 per $100 EAV. This rate represents a 4.03% decrease from the 2018 rate.
The tables below illustrate the recent history of City levies along with the breakdown of operational and pension obligations:
| Category | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| General Operating | 1,407,322 | 1,407,322 | 1,407,322 | 1,407,322 | 1,407,322 | 1,432,476 | 1,432,476 | 1,452,336 |
| FICA/IMRF | 337,175 | 337,175 | 337,175 | 337,175 | 337,175 | 337,175 | 337,175 | 337,175 |
| Police Pension | 341,525 | 341,525 | 356,321 | 418,537 | 528,471 | 570,593 | 612,556 | 572,243 |
| Fire Pension | 518,599 | 518,599 | 530,747 | 594,763 | 595,926 | 613,614 | 659,218 | 730,220 |
| Crossing Guards | 20,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 |
| Total Levy | 2,624,621 | 2,624,621 | 2,651,565 | 2,777,797 | 2,888,894 | 2,973,858 | 3,061,425 | 3,111,974 |
| City-Wide EAV | $371,153,227 | $343,636,270 | $337,661,389 | $357,501,358 | $389,722,536 | $419,949,225 | $445,724,508 | $472,578,869 |
| City Tax Rate | 0.70715 | 0.76378 | 0.78527 | 0.77703 | 0.74127 | 0.70815 | 0.68684 | 0.65851 |
➢ Should result in a City tax rate of 0.65851.
➢ The total levy is $3,111,974 (1.65% overall increase attributed to new construction); with $1,452,336 going to general operations.
➢ The levy is maintained at the 2018 level and then applied to existing EAV to calculate the rate of 0.65851. The rate is then applied to new construction EAV of $7,676,277.
➢ Property Taxes minus the portion going directly to the Police and Fire Pension funds would represent only 11.54% of all budgeted FY20 General Fund expenditures, less pass-thru pension transfers ($15,685,376).
➢ Increases the funds available for general operations by $19,860.
Resulting Impact on Single-Family Homeowner: With each of the options, residents want to know what the impact is on their home. The chart below shows the estimated change in the City tax bill for a $200,000 home in 2018 (payable in 2019) and the same home in 2019 (payable in 2020) which is now valued at an estimated $208,602 based on the average increase in EAV (4.30%):
| 2018 | 2019 | |
| Property EAV | 66,667 | 69,534 |
| City Tax Rate | 0.6868 | 0.6585 |
| City Tax Bill | $457.90 | $457.89 |
| Difference | ($0.01) |
| Year | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| Library Levy | $943,400 | $971,702 | $971,702 | $1,020,287 | $1,066,295 | $1,119,500 | $1,138,857 | $1,157,661 |
| 3.06% | 3.00% | 0.00% | 5.00% | 4.50% | 4.99% | 1.73% | 1.65% | |
| City-Wide EAV | 371,153,227 | 343,636,270 | 337,661,389 | 357,501,358 | 389,722,536 | 419,949,225 | 445,724,508 | 472,578,869 |
| Library Rate | 0.25418 | 0.28278 | 0.28778 | 0.28539 | 0.27360 | 0.26658 | 0.25551 | 0.24497 |
| 14.04% | 11.25% | 1.77% | -0.83% | -4.63% | -2.57% | -4.25% | -4.13% |
| 2018 | 2019 | |
| Property EAV | 66,667 | 69,534 |
| Library Tax Rate | 0.25551 | 0.24497 |
| Library Tax Bill | $170.34 | $170.34 |
| Difference | $0.00 |
Combined, the City and Library levies make-up the corporate levy. Based on the options recommended above, the corporate levy totals $4,269,635, which represents a 1.65% increase. Current taxpayers should see little change in the amount of taxes paid to the City of Sycamore and Sycamore Public Library in 2020 as new construction accounts for any new dollars being added to the proposed levy.
11. ORDINANCES
A. Ordinance 2019.36—An Ordinance Levying Taxes for the Corporate Purposes of the City of Sycamore for the Fiscal Year Commencing May 1, 2020 and Ending April 30, 2021. First Reading.
At the top of this agenda, a public hearing will be held on the proposed 2019 corporate property tax levy for the City of Sycamore. As noted above, the proposed corporate levy of $4,269,635 includes a City levy of $3,111,974 and a Sycamore Public Library levy of $1,157,661. Assuming a city-wide EAV of $472,578,869 in 2019—an increase of over $26 million in the City’s collective real estate wealth from 2018—the proposed corporate levy should result in a tax rate of $.90348 per $100 EAV. This rate represents a 4.03% decrease from the 2018 rate.
B. Ordinance 2019.37—An Ordinance Abating the Debt Service Levy for the General Obligation Refunding Bond Issue Series 2012 for the City of Sycamore, DeKalb County, Illinois for Fiscal Year 2020-2021. First Reading.
The 2012 Refunding Bond was issued in July 2012 to refinance the 2002 General Obligation Bond and the majority of the 2003 General Obligation Bonds. All of the debt service ($262,350) on the 2012 Refunding Bond series will be abated. This approach is consistent with the City policy of paying the greatest share of its annual general obligation bond debt service from general revenues other than property taxes. The attached ordinance will levy $262,350 and abate $262,350, so the extension will be $0.00. The debt service will be paid by the 2012 Bond Proceeds Fund (Fund 36) which gets its primary revenue from General Fund, Capital Fund (Fund 6) and Road & Bridge Fund (Fund 8) transfers. These are the same sources that funded the 2002 and 2003 issues.
C. Ordinance 2019.38—An Ordinance Partially Abating the Debt Service Levy for the General Obligation Bond Issue Series 2017 Refunding Bond for the City of Sycamore, DeKalb County, Illinois for the Fiscal Year 2020-2021. First Reading.
This ordinance concerns the FY2019-2020 debt service on the 2017 General Obligation Refunding Bond. Historically, the City has levied $155,000 for debt service to be applied to the 1999, 2005 and 2007 bond funds. Both the 1999 and 2005 bonds have been retired and the 2007 series was refunded as part of the 2017 Refunding Bond, therefore the levy will be applied to the 2017 series. As a result, the total levy is $327,760 and $172,760 will be abated. The debt service will be paid from the 2017 Bond Fund (Fund 38) which receives its principal revenue from General Fund transfers.
12. RESOLUTIONS—None
13. CONSIDERATIONS
A. Consideration of a Presentation Outlining the City’s 2019 Safety Grant Implementation.
This past year, the City of Sycamore received a safety grant in the amount of $7,429.00 from Illinois Public Risk Fund, who has partnered with Lexipol and Local GovU to provide municipalities with safety equipment and products to help reduce workplace injuries. The City’s safety committee worked with all departments to identify needs for our employees and maximize the impact of the grant funding. Human and Administrative Resources Director Maggie Peck will give a brief presentation on the items and equipment that were identified and purchased this past year.
14. OTHER NEW BUSINESS
15. APPOINTMENTS
16. ADJOURNMENT
https://cityofsycamore.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/cc20191202a-Final.pdf
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