While Lincoln County supervisors may rightly claim they did notraise the overall property tax levy in the new year budget, thatstatement is not completely accurate for property owners in thecity school district.

Brookhaven School District residents will not see the benefitsof a county school district tax levy decrease that allowedsupervisors to hold the overall property tax levy in check.Instead, city and city school district residents will see anapproximately 8 percent increase in the tax levy that generatesrevenue to support county operations.

Although county school district residents also will be payingthe higher county tax levy, that increase for them will be offsetby the decrease in the county school tax levy.

It is significant to note that the tax levies for both the cityschool and county school districts will decrease for the new budgetyear. The tax levy for the city school district decreased slightly,as did the tax levy to support city government operations.

What all the tax levy activity will mean for individual propertyowners will depend on their respective property holdings and theirvalues. Residents will find out when tax notices are sent out inDecember.

Although city officials voted earlier this year to discontinueoversight of the county’s Multi-Use Facility, city residents willstill be helping to pay for its operation. More than half of ananticipated county general fund spending increase is slated for theMulti-Use Facility.

For city residents, instead of paying facility costs through therecreation department, they will now be paying for it in the formof county property taxes.

In other words, the funds simply will be going into a differentpocket. In fairness, residents outside the city will also beputting their tax dollars in that county pocket, too.

Some other areas that will benefit from county tax dollarsinclude increased funding for the library and development of thenew LinBrook Business Park. The library is an important place forboth city and county residents and the whole community stands toreap benefits of the new business park once it is up and going.

Tax levy issues aside, supervisors are continuing to beconscientious about spending plans but have been willing to take onadditional obligations when needed. The new year county budget isevidence of their commitment.