SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – People who own property in Springfield’s District 186 can expect to pay more in property taxes. The district’s business manager, Steve Miller, told the board Monday it’s necessary to keep up with inflation.

“We are trying to stay in line with how much the cost of living is increasing,” said Miller. “Our costs of just doing business, whether that is paying for salaries or just purchasing services, increases, so we also have to increase our revenues.”

A public hearing and vote are scheduled for Dec. 7. Miller said the district plans to ask for up to a five percent increase but will need closer to three percent. He said a five percent increase would mean another $55 per year for the owner of a $100,000 home. District 186 wants to levy $134,067,170.

“I think over the past ten years, the (Consumer Price Index) is hovering right around that 2.8 percent,” said Miller. “We did see right after covid the CPI around that seven percent range. That’s the highest it’s been. probably, in our lifetime. There are times where CPI has been 0.8 percent, back in the early 2000’s, around that bubble crash of 2008.”