VOP Fall Winter Public 2015

Welcome to our “Ask Your Trustee” feature where your elected officials will answer your submitted questions. Here are a few of the most recently asked questions from residents and answers from your trustees.

ASK YOUR TRUSTEE TRUSTEE CAROLE GRIFFIN RUZICH Finance and Information Technology Committee Chair

Who is eligible for a property tax rebate? Owners of single family homes, townhomes, and residential condominium units are eligible for a rebate upon proving residency in the home with a valid Illinois driver’s license listing an Orland Park address. Owners of multi-unit apartment buildings must be living in one of the units to qualify for the rebate. Property taxes on the entire building will be prorated to determine the amount paid by the single unit occupied by the owner. When will I know the amount of my rebate? Once all applications have been received and processed, the village will calculate the amount of each applicant’s rebate. An applicant’s rebate will be based upon the assessed value of their home as compared to the total assessed value of the approved applicant pool.

What is the total amount of this year’s rebate and how much has the village rebated since the program’s inception? This year’s total rebate amount is $2.2 million. In total, since 2002, the village has rebated approximately $36.67 million. How is the village able to offer this rebate? At the time the village enacted a home rule sales tax, the Board set the policy of utilizing a portion of the home rule sales tax collected each year to reduce the property tax burden on village residents through the form of an annual rebate. Based upon the village’s strong financial position, sound budgeting practices and healthy reserves, we have been able to offer qualified applicants a rebate for the 11th time in 14 years.

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ORLAND PARK PUBLIC | FALL/WINTER 2015 |