HB2901 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB098 09538 HLH 41310 b

98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
HB2901

Introduced , by Rep. Michael J. Zalewski

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

See Index

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that a taxing district may adopt a levy to recapture revenue lost due to refunds issued pursuant to a decision of the Property Tax Appeal Board, an assessment or exemption decision of the Department of Revenue, a court order, or an administrative decision of a local assessment official. Provides that those recapture levies are not included in the taxing district's aggregate extension base under the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law. Provides that any taxpayer who has received a refund that has been included in a recapture levy by one or more taxing districts has the right to an abatement in an amount equal to a portion of that refund amount, subject to certain limitations. Repeals a Section of the School Code requiring the State Board of Education to incorporate and deduct the total aggregate adjustments to assessments made by the State Property Tax Appeal Board or Cook County Board of Appeals from the equalized assessed valuation of the district when calculating the amount of State aid to be apportioned to school districts. Provides that commercial or industrial taxpayers who (i) receive a final assessment that exceeds the final assessment of the immediate past year by $100,000 or more in assessed valuation, and (ii) intend to seek further review of the assessment shall give notice of their intent to seek a review to the governing body of any municipality, school district, and community college district in which the property is situated.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IMPACT NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning revenue.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Property Tax Code is amended by changing Sections 18-185 and 30-10 and by adding Section 18-53 as follows:

(35 ILCS 200/18-53 new)

Sec. 18-53. Recovery of revenue lost due to tax refunds.

(a) When a taxing district is required to refund a portion of the property tax revenue distributed to that taxing district because of a decision of the Property Tax Appeal Board, an assessment or exemption decision of the Department of Revenue, a court order issued pursuant to an assessment valuation complaint under item (3) of subsection (b) of Section 23-15, or an administrative decision of a local assessment official reducing the assessed value of a property within the district, that taxing district may, without referendum, adopt a levy to recapture the revenue lost by the refund or refunds.

(b) The recapture levy must not exceed an amount equal to the aggregate refunds of principal taxes (excluding any interest) paid by the district for the prior calendar year. At the district's option, the total amount to be recaptured for the prior calendar year may be levied and extended in up to 3 successive annual installments, but the total of all installments shall not exceed the amount allowed under this Section for a single levy. Each single levy or installment of a recapture levy must be included as a separate line item in the district's regular levy ordinance, and the ordinance must specify for each item the year of recapture and whether the item is the first, second, or third installment of the total recapture for that year. The total amount of all recapture line items in any one levy ordinance shall not exceed 5% of the aggregate amount of all other items included in that ordinance except for debt service. Within 45 days after a request by a taxing district, the county treasurer must certify the aggregate refunds paid by a taxing district for purposes of this Section. For purposes of the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, the taxing district's aggregate extension base does not include the recapture levy authorized under this Section.

(c) Whenever the county treasurer certifies aggregate refunds at the request of a taxing district under this Section, the treasurer shall keep records of the individual refunds included in the aggregate. That information shall be provided to the county clerk. The county clerk shall keep a record of that information and of any recapture levy that may thereafter be extended, so that the amount of that extension may be distinguished from any other levies and extensions for that district. The county treasurer's and the county clerk's records under this Section must be made available to the public upon request.

(d) Any taxpayer who has received a refund of taxes paid on his or her property that has been included in a recapture levy or levies by one or more taxing districts under this Section has the right to have a portion of the refund amount included in the extension of each district's recapture levy against his or her property abated to the extent that the refund amount included in each district's recapture levy exceeds $1,000. The abatement may be granted only upon application as provided in this Section, and submission of the application shall not delay or otherwise affect the normal tax extension and billing process. For purposes of this Section, the property for which the recapture extension may be abated is defined as one or more parcels that were the subject of a consolidated refund. If the taxing district's recapture levy and extension was made in a lesser amount than the aggregate of all refunds certified by the treasurer for that district, each abatement shall reflect that same proportionate reduction.

(e) A taxpayer seeking an abatement under this Section shall apply to the county treasurer after the issuance of the second installment of the tax bill that includes the amount sought to be abated, but no later than the due date under Section 23-10 for tax objection complaints regarding tax levies of the year for which the recapture levy was extended. The county treasurer may prescribe the form in which the application shall be made. The application shall include a copy of the decision or order giving rise to the refund and must specify the abatement claimed. The treasurer, assisted if necessary by the county clerk, shall confirm (i) whether the refund identified in the application was included within the appropriate treasurer's certification of aggregate refunds and (ii) the percentage that the refund represents of the total recapture levy, and, upon such confirmation, the abatement must be allowed as provided in this Section. If the taxes abated have been paid, the abatement amount must be refunded. The treasurer shall determine whether to allow or deny the application and shall advise the applicant of the determination within 90 days after its submission, and a failure to make an express determination within that time shall be deemed a denial. If the treasurer cannot determine whether the application should be allowed, or otherwise denies the application, any taxpayer who has paid the tax subject to the claimed abatement may petition the circuit court for a refund in the time and manner provided in Section 20-175. Any refund granted pursuant to an abatement may not be included in a recapture levy under this Section.

(f) The county treasurer and county clerk shall mark their records to reflect that any taxes abated under this Section and any lien with respect to those taxes shall be null and void.

(35 ILCS 200/18-185)

Sec. 18-185. Short title; definitions. This Division 5 may be cited as the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law. As used in this Division 5:

"Consumer Price Index" means the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for all items published by the United States Department of Labor.

"Extension limitation" means (a) the lesser of 5% or the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index during the 12-month calendar year preceding the levy year or (b) the rate of increase approved by voters under Section 18-205.

"Affected county" means a county of 3,000,000 or more inhabitants or a county contiguous to a county of 3,000,000 or more inhabitants.

"Taxing district" has the same meaning provided in Section 1-150, except as otherwise provided in this Section. For the 1991 through 1994 levy years only, "taxing district" includes only each non-home rule taxing district having the majority of its 1990 equalized assessed value within any county or counties contiguous to a county with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants. Beginning with the 1995 levy year, "taxing district" includes only each non-home rule taxing district subject to this Law before the 1995 levy year and each non-home rule taxing district not subject to this Law before the 1995 levy year having the majority of its 1994 equalized assessed value in an affected county or counties. Beginning with the levy year in which this Law becomes applicable to a taxing district as provided in Section 18-213, "taxing district" also includes those taxing districts made subject to this Law as provided in Section 18-213.

"Aggregate extension" for taxing districts to which this Law applied before the 1995 levy year means the annual corporate extension for the taxing district and those special purpose extensions that are made annually for the taxing district, excluding special purpose extensions: (a) made for the taxing district to pay interest or principal on general obligation bonds that were approved by referendum; (b) made for any taxing district to pay interest or principal on general obligation bonds issued before October 1, 1991; (c) made for any taxing district to pay interest or principal on bonds issued to refund or continue to refund those bonds issued before October 1, 1991; (d) made for any taxing district to pay interest or principal on bonds issued to refund or continue to refund bonds issued after October 1, 1991 that were approved by referendum; (e) made for any taxing district to pay interest or principal on revenue bonds issued before October 1, 1991 for payment of which a property tax levy or the full faith and credit of the unit of local government is pledged; however, a tax for the payment of interest or principal on those bonds shall be made only after the governing body of the unit of local government finds that all other sources for payment are insufficient to make those payments; (f) made for payments under a building commission lease when the lease payments are for the retirement of bonds issued by the commission before October 1, 1991, to pay for the building project; (g) made for payments due under installment contracts entered into before October 1, 1991; (h) made for payments of principal and interest on bonds issued under the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act to finance construction projects initiated before October 1, 1991; (i) made for payments of principal and interest on limited bonds, as defined in Section 3 of the Local Government Debt Reform Act, in an amount not to exceed the debt service extension base less the amount in items (b), (c), (e), and (h) of this definition for non-referendum obligations, except obligations initially issued pursuant to referendum; (j) made for payments of principal and interest on bonds issued under Section 15 of the Local Government Debt Reform Act; (k) made by a school district that participates in the Special Education District of Lake County, created by special education joint agreement under Section 10-22.31 of the School Code, for payment of the school district's share of the amounts required to be contributed by the Special Education District of Lake County to the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund under Article 7 of the Illinois Pension Code; the amount of any extension under this item (k) shall be certified by the school district to the county clerk; (l) made to fund expenses of providing joint recreational programs for the handicapped under Section 5-8 of the Park District Code or Section 11-95-14 of the Illinois Municipal Code; (m) made for temporary relocation loan repayment purposes pursuant to Sections 2-3.77 and 17-2.2d of the School Code; (n) made for payment of principal and interest on any bonds issued under the authority of Section 17-2.2d of the School Code; (o) made for contributions to a firefighter's pension fund created under Article 4 of the Illinois Pension Code, to the extent of the amount certified under item (5) of Section 4-134 of the Illinois Pension Code; and (p) made for road purposes in the first year after a township assumes the rights, powers, duties, assets, property, liabilities, obligations, and responsibilities of a road district abolished under the provisions of Section 6-133 of the Illinois Highway Code; and (q) made as a recapture levy under Section 18-53 of the Property Tax Code.

"Aggregate extension" for the taxing districts to which this Law did not apply before the 1995 levy year (except taxing districts subject to this Law in accordance with Section 18-213) means the annual corporate extension for the taxing district and those special purpose extensions that are made annually for the taxing district, excluding special purpose extensions: (a) made for the taxing district to pay interest or principal on general obligation bonds that were approved by referendum; (b) made for any taxing district to pay interest or principal on general obligation bonds issued before March 1, 1995; (c) made for any taxing district to pay interest or principal on bonds issued to refund or continue to refund those bonds issued before March 1, 1995; (d) made for any taxing district to pay interest or principal on bonds issued to refund or continue to refund bonds issued after March 1, 1995 that were approved by referendum; (e) made for any taxing district to pay interest or principal on revenue bonds issued before March 1, 1995 for payment of which a property tax levy or the full faith and credit of the unit of local government is pledged; however, a tax for the payment of interest or principal on those bonds shall be made only after the governing body of the unit of local government finds that all other sources for payment are insufficient to make those payments; (f) made for payments under a building commission lease when the lease payments are for the retirement of bonds issued by the commission before March 1, 1995 to pay for the building project; (g) made for payments due under installment contracts entered into before March 1, 1995; (h) made for payments of principal and interest on bonds issued under the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act to finance construction projects initiated before October 1, 1991; (h-4) made for stormwater management purposes by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago under Section 12 of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act; (i) made for payments of principal and interest on limited bonds, as defined in Section 3 of the Local Government Debt Reform Act, in an amount not to exceed the debt service extension base less the amount in items (b), (c), and (e) of this definition for non-referendum obligations, except obligations initially issued pursuant to referendum and bonds described in subsection (h) of this definition; (j) made for payments of principal and interest on bonds issued under Section 15 of the Local Government Debt Reform Act; (k) made for payments of principal and interest on bonds authorized by Public Act 88-503 and issued under Section 20a of the Chicago Park District Act for aquarium or museum projects; (l) made for payments of principal and interest on bonds authorized by Public Act 87-1191 or 93-601 and (i) issued pursuant to Section 21.2 of the Cook County Forest Preserve District Act, (ii) issued under Section 42 of the Cook County Forest Preserve District Act for zoological park projects, or (iii) issued under Section 44.1 of the Cook County Forest Preserve District Act for botanical gardens projects; (m) made pursuant to Section 34-53.5 of the School Code, whether levied annually or not; (n) made to fund expenses of providing joint recreational programs for the handicapped under Section 5-8 of the Park District Code or Section 11-95-14 of the Illinois Municipal Code; (o) made by the Chicago Park District for recreational programs for the handicapped under subsection (c) of Section 7.06 of the Chicago Park District Act; (p) made for contributions to a firefighter's pension fund created under Article 4 of the Illinois Pension Code, to the extent of the amount certified under item (5) of Section 4-134 of the Illinois Pension Code; and (q) made by Ford Heights School District 169 under Section 17-9.02 of the School Code; and (r) made as a recapture levy under Section 18-53 of the Property Tax Code.

"Aggregate extension" for all taxing districts to which this Law applies in accordance with Section 18-213, except for those taxing districts subject to paragraph (2) of subsection (e) of Section 18-213, means the annual corporate extension for the taxing district and those special purpose extensions that are made annually for the taxing district, excluding special purpose extensions: (a) made for the taxing district to pay interest or principal on general obligation bonds that were approved by referendum; (b) made for any taxing district to pay interest or principal on general obligation bonds issued before the date on which the referendum making this Law applicable to the taxing district is held; (c) made for any taxing district to pay interest or principal on bonds issued to refund or continue to refund those bonds issued before the date on which the referendum making this Law applicable to the taxing district is held; (d) made for any taxing district to pay interest or principal on bonds issued to refund or continue to refund bonds issued after the date on which the referendum making this Law applicable to the taxing district is held if the bonds were approved by referendum after the date on which the referendum making this Law applicable to the taxing district is held; (e) made for any taxing district to pay interest or principal on revenue bonds issued before the date on which the referendum making this Law applicable to the taxing district is held for payment of which a property tax levy or the full faith and credit of the unit of local government is pledged; however, a tax for the payment of interest or principal on those bonds shall be made only after the governing body of the unit of local government finds that all other sources for payment are insufficient to make those payments; (f) made for payments under a building commission lease when the lease payments are for the retirement of bonds issued by the commission before the date on which the referendum making this Law applicable to the taxing district is held to pay for the building project; (g) made for payments due under installment contracts entered into before the date on which the referendum making this Law applicable to the taxing district is held; (h) made for payments of principal and interest on limited bonds, as defined in Section 3 of the Local Government Debt Reform Act, in an amount not to exceed the debt service extension base less the amount in items (b), (c), and (e) of this definition for non-referendum obligations, except obligations initially issued pursuant to referendum; (i) made for payments of principal and interest on bonds issued under Section 15 of the Local Government Debt Reform Act; (j) made for a qualified airport authority to pay interest or principal on general obligation bonds issued for the purpose of paying obligations due under, or financing airport facilities required to be acquired, constructed, installed or equipped pursuant to, contracts entered into before March 1, 1996 (but not including any amendments to such a contract taking effect on or after that date); (k) made to fund expenses of providing joint recreational programs for the handicapped under Section 5-8 of the Park District Code or Section 11-95-14 of the Illinois Municipal Code; (l) made for contributions to a firefighter's pension fund created under Article 4 of the Illinois Pension Code, to the extent of the amount certified under item (5) of Section 4-134 of the Illinois Pension Code; and (m) made for the taxing district to pay interest or principal on general obligation bonds issued pursuant to Section 19-3.10 of the School Code; and (n) made as a recapture levy under Section 18-53 of the Property Tax Code.

"Aggregate extension" for all taxing districts to which this Law applies in accordance with paragraph (2) of subsection (e) of Section 18-213 means the annual corporate extension for the taxing district and those special purpose extensions that are made annually for the taxing district, excluding special purpose extensions: (a) made for the taxing district to pay interest or principal on general obligation bonds that were approved by referendum; (b) made for any taxing district to pay interest or principal on general obligation bonds issued before the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1997; (c) made for any taxing district to pay interest or principal on bonds issued to refund or continue to refund those bonds issued before the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1997; (d) made for any taxing district to pay interest or principal on bonds issued to refund or continue to refund bonds issued after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1997 if the bonds were approved by referendum after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1997; (e) made for any taxing district to pay interest or principal on revenue bonds issued before the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1997 for payment of which a property tax levy or the full faith and credit of the unit of local government is pledged; however, a tax for the payment of interest or principal on those bonds shall be made only after the governing body of the unit of local government finds that all other sources for payment are insufficient to make those payments; (f) made for payments under a building commission lease when the lease payments are for the retirement of bonds issued by the commission before the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1997 to pay for the building project; (g) made for payments due under installment contracts entered into before the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1997; (h) made for payments of principal and interest on limited bonds, as defined in Section 3 of the Local Government Debt Reform Act, in an amount not to exceed the debt service extension base less the amount in items (b), (c), and (e) of this definition for non-referendum obligations, except obligations initially issued pursuant to referendum; (i) made for payments of principal and interest on bonds issued under Section 15 of the Local Government Debt Reform Act; (j) made for a qualified airport authority to pay interest or principal on general obligation bonds issued for the purpose of paying obligations due under, or financing airport facilities required to be acquired, constructed, installed or equipped pursuant to, contracts entered into before March 1, 1996 (but not including any amendments to such a contract taking effect on or after that date); (k) made to fund expenses of providing joint recreational programs for the handicapped under Section 5-8 of the Park District Code or Section 11-95-14 of the Illinois Municipal Code; and (l) made for contributions to a firefighter's pension fund created under Article 4 of the Illinois Pension Code, to the extent of the amount certified under item (5) of Section 4-134 of the Illinois Pension Code; and (m) made as a recapture levy under Section 18-53 of the Property Tax Code.

"Debt service extension base" means an amount equal to that portion of the extension for a taxing district for the 1994 levy year, or for those taxing districts subject to this Law in accordance with Section 18-213, except for those subject to paragraph (2) of subsection (e) of Section 18-213, for the levy year in which the referendum making this Law applicable to the taxing district is held, or for those taxing districts subject to this Law in accordance with paragraph (2) of subsection (e) of Section 18-213 for the 1996 levy year, constituting an extension for payment of principal and interest on bonds issued by the taxing district without referendum, but not including excluded non-referendum bonds. For park districts (i) that were first subject to this Law in 1991 or 1995 and (ii) whose extension for the 1994 levy year for the payment of principal and interest on bonds issued by the park district without referendum (but not including excluded non-referendum bonds) was less than 51% of the amount for the 1991 levy year constituting an extension for payment of principal and interest on bonds issued by the park district without referendum (but not including excluded non-referendum bonds), "debt service extension base" means an amount equal to that portion of the extension for the 1991 levy year constituting an extension for payment of principal and interest on bonds issued by the park district without referendum (but not including excluded non-referendum bonds). A debt service extension base established or increased at any time pursuant to any provision of this Law, except Section 18-212, shall be increased each year commencing with the later of (i) the 2009 levy year or (ii) the first levy year in which this Law becomes applicable to the taxing district, by the lesser of 5% or the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index during the 12-month calendar year preceding the levy year. The debt service extension base may be established or increased as provided under Section 18-212. "Excluded non-referendum bonds" means (i) bonds authorized by Public Act 88-503 and issued under Section 20a of the Chicago Park District Act for aquarium and museum projects; (ii) bonds issued under Section 15 of the Local Government Debt Reform Act; or (iii) refunding obligations issued to refund or to continue to refund obligations initially issued pursuant to referendum.

"Special purpose extensions" include, but are not limited to, extensions for levies made on an annual basis for unemployment and workers' compensation, self-insurance, contributions to pension plans, and extensions made pursuant to Section 6-601 of the Illinois Highway Code for a road district's permanent road fund whether levied annually or not. The extension for a special service area is not included in the aggregate extension.

"Aggregate extension base" means the taxing district's last preceding aggregate extension as adjusted under Sections 18-135, 18-215, and 18-230. An adjustment under Section 18-135 shall be made for the 2007 levy year and all subsequent levy years whenever one or more counties within which a taxing district is located (i) used estimated valuations or rates when extending taxes in the taxing district for the last preceding levy year that resulted in the over or under extension of taxes, or (ii) increased or decreased the tax extension for the last preceding levy year as required by Section 18-135(c). Whenever an adjustment is required under Section 18-135, the aggregate extension base of the taxing district shall be equal to the amount that the aggregate extension of the taxing district would have been for the last preceding levy year if either or both (i) actual, rather than estimated, valuations or rates had been used to calculate the extension of taxes for the last levy year, or (ii) the tax extension for the last preceding levy year had not been adjusted as required by subsection (c) of Section 18-135.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for levy year 2012, the aggregate extension base for West Northfield School District No. 31 in Cook County shall be $12,654,592.

"Levy year" has the same meaning as "year" under Section 1-155.

"New property" means (i) the assessed value, after final board of review or board of appeals action, of new improvements or additions to existing improvements on any parcel of real property that increase the assessed value of that real property during the levy year multiplied by the equalization factor issued by the Department under Section 17-30, (ii) the assessed value, after final board of review or board of appeals action, of real property not exempt from real estate taxation, which real property was exempt from real estate taxation for any portion of the immediately preceding levy year, multiplied by the equalization factor issued by the Department under Section 17-30, including the assessed value, upon final stabilization of occupancy after new construction is complete, of any real property located within the boundaries of an otherwise or previously exempt military reservation that is intended for residential use and owned by or leased to a private corporation or other entity, and (iii) in counties that classify in accordance with Section 4 of Article IX of the Illinois Constitution, an incentive property's additional assessed value resulting from a scheduled increase in the level of assessment as applied to the first year final board of review market value. In addition, the county clerk in a county containing a population of 3,000,000 or more shall include in the 1997 recovered tax increment value for any school district, any recovered tax increment value that was applicable to the 1995 tax year calculations.

"Qualified airport authority" means an airport authority organized under the Airport Authorities Act and located in a county bordering on the State of Wisconsin and having a population in excess of 200,000 and not greater than 500,000.

"Recovered tax increment value" means, except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, the amount of the current year's equalized assessed value, in the first year after a municipality terminates the designation of an area as a redevelopment project area previously established under the Tax Increment Allocation Development Act in the Illinois Municipal Code, previously established under the Industrial Jobs Recovery Law in the Illinois Municipal Code, previously established under the Economic Development Project Area Tax Increment Act of 1995, or previously established under the Economic Development Area Tax Increment Allocation Act, of each taxable lot, block, tract, or parcel of real property in the redevelopment project area over and above the initial equalized assessed value of each property in the redevelopment project area. For the taxes which are extended for the 1997 levy year, the recovered tax increment value for a non-home rule taxing district that first became subject to this Law for the 1995 levy year because a majority of its 1994 equalized assessed value was in an affected county or counties shall be increased if a municipality terminated the designation of an area in 1993 as a redevelopment project area previously established under the Tax Increment Allocation Development Act in the Illinois Municipal Code, previously established under the Industrial Jobs Recovery Law in the Illinois Municipal Code, or previously established under the Economic Development Area Tax Increment Allocation Act, by an amount equal to the 1994 equalized assessed value of each taxable lot, block, tract, or parcel of real property in the redevelopment project area over and above the initial equalized assessed value of each property in the redevelopment project area. In the first year after a municipality removes a taxable lot, block, tract, or parcel of real property from a redevelopment project area established under the Tax Increment Allocation Development Act in the Illinois Municipal Code, the Industrial Jobs Recovery Law in the Illinois Municipal Code, or the Economic Development Area Tax Increment Allocation Act, "recovered tax increment value" means the amount of the current year's equalized assessed value of each taxable lot, block, tract, or parcel of real property removed from the redevelopment project area over and above the initial equalized assessed value of that real property before removal from the redevelopment project area.

Except as otherwise provided in this Section, "limiting rate" means a fraction the numerator of which is the last preceding aggregate extension base times an amount equal to one plus the extension limitation defined in this Section and the denominator of which is the current year's equalized assessed value of all real property in the territory under the jurisdiction of the taxing district during the prior levy year. For those taxing districts that reduced their aggregate extension for the last preceding levy year, the highest aggregate extension in any of the last 3 preceding levy years shall be used for the purpose of computing the limiting rate. The denominator shall not include new property or the recovered tax increment value. If a new rate, a rate decrease, or a limiting rate increase has been approved at an election held after March 21, 2006, then (i) the otherwise applicable limiting rate shall be increased by the amount of the new rate or shall be reduced by the amount of the rate decrease, as the case may be, or (ii) in the case of a limiting rate increase, the limiting rate shall be equal to the rate set forth in the proposition approved by the voters for each of the years specified in the proposition, after which the limiting rate of the taxing district shall be calculated as otherwise provided.

(Source: P.A. 96-501, eff. 8-14-09; 96-517, eff. 8-14-09; 96-1000, eff. 7-2-10; 96-1202, eff. 7-22-10; 97-611, eff. 1-1-12; 97-1154, eff. 1-25-13.)

(35 ILCS 200/30-10)

Sec. 30-10. Special reserve fund.

(a) The governing body of any taxing district may, by ordinance or resolution, establish a special reserve fund for the purpose of accumulating monies to pay refunds of erroneously or illegally collected taxes. A taxing district establishing a special fund may transfer into the fund each year taxes or monies from the general corporate fund to be used solely for the payment of tax refunds and expenses incident to refunds. The balance of the fund shall not exceed 1/2 of 1% of the equalized assessed valuation of property in the taxing district, exclusive of any amounts paid into the fund under subsection (b) of this Section.

(b) Commercial or industrial taxpayers who (i) receive a final assessment as certified under Section 16-85 or 16-150 of this Act that exceeds the final assessment of the immediate past year by $100,000 or more in assessed valuation, and (ii) intend to seek further review of the assessment shall give notice of their intent to seek a review to the governing body of any municipality, school district, and community college district in which the property is situated. Notice shall be sent by mail within 30 days after filing an appeal petition with the Property Tax Appeal Board pursuant to Section 16-160 of this Code or of filing a tax objection complaint in circuit court pursuant to Section 23-10. The governing body of any taxing district receiving this notice from a commercial or industrial taxpayer may transfer into the special reserve fund authorized by subsection (a) of this Section all amounts received from the taxpayer exceeding the amounts received from that taxpayer for the immediate prior tax year. The transfer may be made at any time during the pendency of the appeal or tax objection proceedings. These amounts may remain in the reserve fund until the taxpayer has exhausted all further rights to administrative or judicial review of the matter and shall be disbursed in accordance with the final resolution of the matter. Amounts refunded to the taxpayer are subject to the provisions of Section 18-53 of this Act. Failure of a municipality, school district, or community college district to receive the notice shall not invalidate any existing proceedings by the taxpayer for review in either the Property Tax Appeal Board or in the courts.

(Source: P.A. 84-205; 88-455.)

Section 10. The School Code is amended by changing Section 2-3.33 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/2-3.33) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.33)

Sec. 2-3.33. Recomputation of claims. To recompute within 3 years from the final date for filing of a claim any claim for reimbursement to any school district if the claim has been found to be incorrect and to adjust subsequent claims accordingly, and to recompute and adjust any such claims within 6 years from the final date for filing when there has been an adverse court or administrative agency decision on the merits affecting the tax revenues of the school district, but excluding revenue recovered under Section 18-53 of the Property Tax Code. However, no such adjustment shall be made regarding equalized assessed valuation unless the district's equalized assessed valuation is changed by greater than $250,000 or 2%.

Except in the case of an adverse court or administrative agency decision no recomputation of a State aid claim shall be made pursuant to this Section as a result of a reduction in the assessed valuation of a school district from the assessed valuation of the district reported to the State Board of Education by the Department of Revenue under Section 18-8.05 unless the requirements of Section 16-15 of the Property Tax Code and Section 2-3.84 of this Code are complied with in all respects.

This paragraph applies to all requests for recomputation of a general State aid claim received after June 30, 2003. In recomputing a general State aid claim that was originally calculated using an extension limitation equalized assessed valuation under paragraph (3) of subsection (G) of Section 18-8.05 of this Code, a qualifying reduction in equalized assessed valuation shall be deducted from the extension limitation equalized assessed valuation that was used in calculating the original claim.

From the total amount of general State aid to be provided to districts, adjustments as a result of recomputation under this Section together with adjustments under Section 2-3.84 must not exceed $25 million, in the aggregate for all districts under both Sections combined, of the general State aid appropriation in any fiscal year; if necessary, amounts shall be prorated among districts. If it is necessary to prorate claims under this paragraph, then that portion of each prorated claim that is approved but not paid in the current fiscal year may be resubmitted as a valid claim in the following fiscal year.

(Source: P.A. 93-845, eff. 7-30-04.)

(105 ILCS 5/2-3.84 rep.)

Section 15. The School Code is amended by repealing Section 2-3.84.