City Council to consider property tax hike; concur with Plan Commission to block Mill Creek water tower

December 3, 2024 | By J. Robert Gough, Publisher

Officials with the Mill Creek Water District want to build a new water tower to replace this one on East Broadway. — Photo by Emma Dalke

QUINCY — The Quincy City Council’s Finance Committee is leaning toward a property tax increase for the upcoming Dec. 23 levy vote that would keep the city from further draining its cash revenues.

The Committee considered five options presented by the administration that included a variety of scenarios ranging from a property tax reduction up to a more than 10 percent hike that would bring in $8.78 million with a projected 7.54 percent increase in equalized assessed valuation. That would mean an additional $1.37 million in revenue in FY 2026.

That would be about a $57 increase to the owner of a $200,000 home. For Quincy residents, the city portion accounts for about 14 percent of an Adams County property tax bill.

More than $5.6 million, the bulk of the $8.78 million levy, goes to pay for police and fire pensions. The Quincy Public Library would receive $1.3 million and would need another $1 million to satisfy its budget request of $2.3 million.

State law requires the city to fund the library at 15 cents per $100 EAV and the library’s request was for 20 cents. Finance committee discussion leaned toward keeping the library rate at 15 cents.

A projected decrease in state revenues is also factoring into the proposed increase. Personal Property Replacement tax allocations have declined and the city has had to pull about $1.8 million from reserves to make up the shortfall. Also, effective Jan. 1, 2026, the state will eliminate the 1 percent grocery tax, but the city could establish its own grocery tax to offset that loss.

Finance Committee Chairman Mike Rein (R-5th Ward) garnered a consensus of the committee and will recommend the increase to the full council, who will vote on the levy two days before Christmas.

In other action, about 10 people spoke out against a new Mill Creek water tower to be built in a residential area and Mill Creek officials voiced their need for the construction at that location. Aldermen concurred with the Plan Commission recommendation to deny the permit.