§ 9-169 — Financing; tax levy and other funding sources

(a) The county board shall levy a tax annually upon all taxable property in the county at the rate that will produce a sum which, when added to the amounts deducted from the salaries of the employees or otherwise contributed by them is sufficient for the requirements of this Article. For the years before 1962 the tax rate shall be as provided in "The 1925 Act". For the years 1962 and 1963 the tax rate shall be not more than .0200 per cent; for the years 1964 and 1965 the tax rate shall be not more than .0202 per cent; for the years 1966 and 1967 the tax rate shall be not more than .0207 per cent; for the year 1968 the tax rate shall be not more than .0220 per cent; for the year 1969 the tax rate shall be not more than .0233 per cent; for the year 1970 the tax rate shall be not more than .0255 per cent; for the year 1971 the tax rate shall be not more than .0268 per cent of the value, as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue upon all taxable property in the county. Beginning with the year 1972 and for each year thereafter the county shall levy a tax annually at a rate on the dollar of the value, as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue of all taxable property within the county that will produce, when extended, not to exceed an amount equal to the total amount of contributions made by the employees to the fund in the calendar year 2 years prior to the year for which the annual applicable tax is levied multiplied by .8 for the years 1972 through 1976; by .8 for the year 1977; by .87 for the year 1978; by .94 for the year 1979; by 1.02 for the year 1980 and by 1.10 for the year 1981 and by 1.18 for the year 1982 and by 1.36 for the year 1983 and by 1.54 for the year 1984 and for each year thereafter. This tax shall be levied and collected in like manner with the general taxes of the county, and shall be in addition to all other taxes which the county is authorized to levy upon the aggregate valuation of all taxable property within the county and shall be exclusive of and in addition to the amount of tax the county is authorized to levy for general purposes under any laws which may limit the amount of tax which the county may levy for general purposes. The county clerk, in reducing tax levies under any Act concerning the levy and extension of taxes, shall not consider this tax as a part of the general tax levy for county purposes, and shall not include it within any limitation of the per cent of the assessed valuation upon which taxes are required to be extended for the county. It is lawful to extend this tax in addition to the general county rate fixed by statute, without being authorized as additional by a vote of the people of the county. Revenues derived from this tax shall be paid to the treasurer of the county and held by the treasurer for the benefit of the fund. If the payments on account of taxes are insufficient during any year to meet the requirements of this Article, the county may issue tax anticipation warrants against the current tax levy. (b) By January 10, annually, the board shall notify the county board of the requirement of this Article that this tax shall be levied. The board shall make an annual determination of the required county contributions, and shall certify the results thereof to the county board. (c) Beginning in the year 2024, the county's minimum required employer contribution as provided in Section 9-169.2 shall be paid with the portion of the tax levy as provided in subsection (a) of this Section and any other lawfully available funds of the county. The county shall disburse to and deposit with the county treasurer on a monthly basis beginning no later than the December 31 preceding the beginning of the Fund's fiscal year 1/12 of the balance of what is not paid under subsection (a), for the benefit of the Fund, to be held in accordance with this Article. This amount, together with such real estate taxes as are specifically levied under this Section for that year, shall not be less than the amount of the minimum required employer contribution for that year as certified by the Fund to the county board. The deposit may be derived from any source otherwise legally available to the county for that purpose, including, but not limited to, home rule taxes. The making of a deposit shall satisfy the requirements of this Section for that year to the extent of the amounts so deposited. Amounts deposited under this subsection may be used by the Fund for any of the purposes for which the proceeds of real estate taxes levied by the county under this Section may otherwise be used, including the payment of any amount that is otherwise required by this Article to be paid from the proceeds of that tax. If the county, before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly, made a contribution or agreed to make a contribution to the Fund from sources other than real estate taxes, this paragraph confirms the validity of or ratifies such contribution or agreement, and neither the county nor any of its officers or employees shall be required to answer for such contribution or agreement in any court. If it is not possible or practicable for the county to make contributions for age and service annuity and widow's annuity concurrently with the employee contributions made for such purposes, such county shall make such contributions as soon as possible and practicable thereafter with interest thereon at the effective rate until the time it shall be made. (d) With respect to employees whose wages are funded as participants under the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act of 1973, as amended (P.L. 93-203, 87 Stat. 839, P.L. 93-567, 88 Stat. 1845), hereinafter referred to as CETA, subsequent to October 1, 1978, and in instances where the board has elected to establish a manpower program reserve, the board shall compute the amounts necessary to be credited to the manpower program reserves established and maintained as herein provided, and shall make a periodic determination of the amount of required contributions from the County to the reserve to be reimbursed by the federal government in accordance with rules and regulations established by the Secretary of the United States Department of Labor or his designee, and certify the results thereof to the County Board. Any such amounts shall become a credit to the County and will be used to reduce the amount which the County would otherwise contribute during succeeding years for all employees. (e) In lieu of establishing a manpower program reserve with respect to employees whose wages are funded as participants under the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act of 1973, as authorized by subsection (d), the board may elect to establish a special County contribution rate for all such employees. If this option is elected, the County shall contribute to the Fund from federal funds provided under the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act program at the special rate so established and such contributions shall become a credit to the County and be used to reduce the amount which the County would otherwise contribute during succeeding years for all employees.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 103-529, eff. 8-11-23.)