Illinois Statutes Chapter 110. Higher Education § 805/3-14.3. Additional tax

§ 3-14.3. In addition to any other tax levies authorized by law, the board of a community college district may levy an additional tax upon the taxable property of the district in any year in which the State Board issues a certificate of eligibility to do so. The additional tax may be used to increase the total taxing authority of the district to the most recently reported statewide average actual levy rate in cents per $100 of equalized assessed value for educational and operations and maintenance purposes as certified by the State Board.

In order to be eligible to levy the additional tax as provided herein, the district shall have been eligible to receive equalization grants pursuant to Section 2-16.02 in the year of eligibility certification or in the previous fiscal year.

The additional amount certified by the State Board to be levied shall not exceed the combined increases in the educational and operations and maintenance purposes funds authorized in Section 3-14. The State Board shall notify the board of trustees of the community college district of its eligibility to levy additional taxes as authorized in this Section and the amount of such levy, by November 1 of each year.

A resolution, adopted annually pursuant to the provisions of the Open Meetings Act,  1 which expresses the district's intent to levy such a tax, or a portion thereof, when accompanied by the State Board certificate of eligibility, shall be the authority for the county clerk or clerks to extend such a tax. Within 10 days after adoption of such resolution, the district shall cause to be published the resolution in at least one or more newspapers published in the district. The publication of the resolution shall include a notice of (1) the specific number of voters required to sign a petition requesting that the proposition of the adoption of the resolution be submitted to the voters of the district; (2) the time in which the petition must be filed; and (3) the date of the prospective referendum. The secretary shall provide a petition form to any individual requesting one.

If within 30 days of the annual adoption of such additional levy, a petition is filed with the secretary of the board of trustees, signed by not less than 10% of the registered voters of the district, requesting that the proposition to levy such additional taxes as authorized by this Section be submitted to the voters of the district, then the district shall not be authorized to levy such additional taxes as permitted by this Section until the proposition has been submitted to and approved by a majority of the voters voting on the proposition at a regularly scheduled election in the manner provided in the general election law. The secretary shall certify the proposition to the proper election authority for submission to the voters. If no such petition with the requisite number of signatures and which is otherwise valid is filed within such 30 day period, then the district shall be authorized to levy such additional taxes as provided for the purposes expressed in this Section.