TaxFACTS Hosts June 4 Town Hall Meeting to Discuss School Taxes

Geneva TaxFACTS cordially invites you to attend a community town hall on Monday, June 4, to share your thoughts, ideas, opinions, praises, concerns, frustrations and questions about the property taxes you pay to Geneva Community School District 304. The word “community” is part of the School District and so it is only right that the community comes together and discusses an issue that will affect all of us over the next five years. The town hall will begin at 6:45 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Geneva’s East Campus located at 2300 South Street. 

Over the last few weeks, the local newspapers have been filled with articles, editorials and comments about increases in property taxes as home assessments continue to decline. Why is it happening? What is causing it to happen? Will it change soon? What will my tax bill be in three years? What will it be in five years?  How about 10 years? These are all questions that most have asked ourselves over the last month.

GenevaTaxFACTS has spent the last four years studying and analyzing the financial decisions the local taxing bodies have been making. I’m sure you have heard or read about the group and you already probably have formed an opinion of us. Some opinions good, some opinions not so good. It all depends on whom you talk to you. But have you ever sat down and listened to what we have to say?Have you spent time on the website at www.genevataxfacts.org? Or have you formed your opinion based on what people have told you? Have you always wanted to attend a school board meeting but just haven’t gotten around to it? Have you ever complained to your neighbor about your tax bill only to find that they have the same concerns and questions? Yet neither of you attended a meeting nor done anything to find the right answers? Now is your chance.

The town hall will start with a short series slides that show:

• District revenue and expenses over the last several years
• The amount of debt that must be paid between now and 2027
• The background on the 2007 bond issue that increased our debt by over $112 million
• A template where you can enter your own property tax history and project what your tax bill will be three, five and 10 years down the line

Those presenting will be concerned Geneva residents, just like you. The information will be shared via line graphs and will take no more than 20 minutes to complete. There won’t be spreadsheets and numbers that you need to follow.  You will not be loaded down with tons of paper and reports to read through. All the nuts and bolts of the information will be posted on our website after the meeting. All sources will be noted and verified. 

The balance of the meeting, at least 90 minutes, will be a dialogue among the audience. You are welcome, and encouraged, to bring up any topic, concern, question or area that is of most interest to you. As a community, we need to start planning on how to deal with the financial challenges that we will face in the very short-term future. We want you to walk out of the meeting with a better understanding of the financial issues we face and realize, while some tough decisions will need to be made, we all need to start working on solutions that make sense for the entire community.

The first installment of your property taxes are due June 4, so why not spend two hours with fellow Geneva residents who share your concerns and are searching for answers! After two hours of open discussion, I believe we will find we all desire the same thing: to be able to provide the good-quality education that Geneva is known for and continue living in a town that we all love and are proud to call our home. Please plan to attend the town hall on Monday, June 4, and help shape the future of our town.