The Aurora City Council unanimously approved the ordinance Tuesday for levying the City’s 2018 tax levy, which shows an overall two percent increase, according to Martin Lyons, the city government’s finance director.
The annual property tax levy provides a major share of Aurora’s revenue, approximately 23% of the revenue for all City funds, and about 40% of the revenue for Aurora General Fund.
Estimates of the 2018 property tax levies for both the city government and Aurora Public Library were included in the 2019 City Budget.
The tax levy is $77,496,900, including debt service and a new library IMRF (Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund) levy. It is $564,217 or 0.74% higher than the 2017 levy extension with the new library IMRF excluded. With the new library IMRF levy included, the increase is 1.66%.
The major source of the increase is a $1.4 Million increase in the Police/Firefighter Pension Funds and the new Library IMRF levy, which is offset by the recommended $550,000 decrease for the elimination of spending for the Aurora Election Commission, Lyons said. The Commission was closed down in June 2018, after a March primary vote to eliminate it.
The proposed Library General Fund tax levy is $10 Million. The 2018 library debt service will be $1.3 Million.
Aldermen approved the $435 Million 2019 budget earlier this month. It includes a $2 Million bond sale to aid in the cleanup and redevelopment at the old Copley Hospital on East Lincoln Avenue.
The budget includes salary increases for city staff members of approximately 2.5%.
Approved during the City Council meeting was the extension of an agreement with Dan Shomon, Inc., for government affairs consulting services in the amount of $7,392 per month, a five percent increase over last year. The extension runs from January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019.
Dan Shomon, Inc., has provided government relations consulting services for the city government since February 2006. The company monitors and/or lobbies on community, state, and federal legislation and consults on issues important to the city, according to city documents.
In recommending the contract extension, Finance Committee chair Robert O’Connor said that Shomon does “excellent work.”
In other Finance Committee business, the Council approved a design engineering services agreement with Christopher B. Burke Engineering Ltd., for improvements of the Aurora Transportation Center’s east parking lot in an amount not to exceed $29,612.
The design will include improvements to pedestrian and vehicle access to the station and enhanced drop-off “Kiss and Ride” facilities.
Rene’ Craig was appointed by the mayor to the Aurora Bicycle, Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Board.