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TO: Mayor John Laesch
FROM: Stacey L. Peterson, Chief Financial Officer/City Treasurer
DATE: October 27, 2025
SUBJECT:
An Ordinance Levying Taxes for the City of Aurora, Illinois, for the Fiscal Year January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025
PURPOSE:
To facilitate the City Council's passage of the proposed 2025 property tax levies for the City
BACKGROUND:
The City obtains the resources for its operations through a variety of sources. The annual property tax levy provides a major share of our revenue - approximately 17% of the revenue for all city funds and about 36% of the revenue for the General Fund.
35 ILCS 200/18-60 requires that each taxing district in Illinois determine an estimate of monies to be raised by the taxation of taxable property not later than 20 days prior to adoption of a tax levy. Estimates of the 2025 property tax levies for the city were included in the proposed 2026 City Budget released on October 15, 2025. Because the aggregate levy amount (less general obligation debt service) will increase less than 5% from the prior year's extension, no notice or public hearing pursuant to the Truth in Taxation Act is required.
DISCUSSION:
Attached as Exhibit 1 is a schedule presenting historical information related to the city's annual tax levies, tax rates, and assessed valuation. Attached as Exhibit 2 is the proposed 2025 property tax levy ordinances for the city, respectively.
As shown in Exhibit 2, the proposed city tax levy totals $103,690,100 (including city debt service). This is $11,130,945 or 12.03% higher than the 2024 levy extension. The annual required contribution for the public safety pension, whose benefits are determined based upon a state-mandated formula, will rise by $4,249,749 million.
Additionally, the debt service portion of the levy will increase to $12,691,800. The difference between the levy amount and the amount extended is an allowance for uncollectable taxes as added by the counties.
Since 2018 th...
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