Village sends measure for 3-year tax rebates for annexed properties to consent agenda

BY DANI TIETZ
dani@mahometnews.com

*The author of this article is a resident of Briarcliff subdivision. The audio recording of the meeting has been included as an accountability measure.

The Village of Mahomet settled on three ordinances that set the parameters of tax rebates for residents of Briarcliff, Summit Ridge and Robinson properties after their annexation in late April 2019.

Village attorney Joe Chamley took the direction of Village staff to draft an ordinance that allows residents of the three subdivisions to receive a property tax rebate for the corporate authority, the Village of Mahomet, for three years beginning with property taxes paid in 2020.

To be eligible for the rebate, residents would have to sign a waiver saying that they will not bring forth a lawsuit against the Village of Mahomet on the annexation issue. Should one resident within a subdivision bring suit against the Village, all residents within the subdivision would lose their right to the tax rebate.

All subdivisions will be deemed separate entities.

“I’m going to be very clear. If someone for Briarcliff sues the village, or if there’s a lawsuit regarding Briarcliff, then no one in Briarcliff would be entitled to the tax rebate,” Chamley said.

“But only Briarcliff; the folks in Summit Ridge, if there is no lawsuit ever pending regarding Summit Ridge, then Summit Ridge is entitled to their rebate.”

According to the ordinance, rebate requests must be submitted by Dec. 1 of the year they were paid. A receipt must be shown or online proof of paid receipt must be made to Village staff. The Village then has 30 days, after board approval, to pay the tax back to the resident.

Chamley said if a property owner has made the first installment of tax, then the owner does not have to wait until the second installment is made to receive the repayment.

Any property that has changed ownership after April 24, 2019 is not subject to the tax rebate.

Village mayor Sean Widener said that the Village may send a letter to residents, explaining their right to the rebate, but it was made clear during the meeting that upon each tax filing date, the Village would not remind property owners of their right.

Should a property owner not claim their rebate by Dec. 1, they forfeit the amount for that year, but would be eligible to still claim the following year’s rebate, if requested.

Chamley explained that if a resident sued the Village and the Village prevailed in the lawsuit, then the resident of the subdivision would still be required to pay the levied tax for the year(s) as they passed.

Village administrator Patrick Brown said the thought process behind the rebate structure is that the Village would save money in legal fees.

Widener said that he and Brown were in favor of a tax structure that would allow for annexed residents to ease into the Village tax structure in 2010 when the Village sought to annex properties. The annexation measure did not go through at the time, but Widener said that the tax rebates are another way to help those residents prepare for the additional tax in upcoming years.

Village of Mahomet Board Meeting 9.10.2019