A property tax extension limitation law that passed on Election Day last Tuesday may cause taxes to skyrocket before the law is enacted Jan. 1, Mayor Dan Cougill said.

PTELL was invented by the state to put a cap on rapidly growing cities’ property taxes, such as those in the outlying Chicago suburbs. However, the state then extended the law throughout Illinois, which Cougill said was unnecessary because it was created to limit taxes in booming towns, not those like Charleston.

The law was put on this year’s ballot because of public urging through the Tax Payers Association to the county board, which has the authority to do so, and passed by a vote of 9,090-5,160.

While the law keeps property taxes under control for residents, the downside is that school districts will lose funding because their one source of revenue is limited, Cougill said.

“It’s a lot more complex then on the surface; that’s the problem,” said Alan Probst, city manager.

Charleston was a city in the county that was not hiking up

property taxes, but with PTELL enacted Charleston, as a result,

is the only city that its school districts will be hit with the law, Cougill said.

The Charleston school districts get all their funds from property taxes, while other schools get more funds from other sources.

School districts will be hit especially hard if the state sends any unfunded mandates their way, which requires the schools to pay for certain additions to the school or salary increases, for instance, but doesn’t follow with funding. Instead, the school district must come up with the funding.

“Either give me some money or don’t restrict my only source of income,”Cougill said.

However, Cougill said Charleston will not be hit hard because it has not quoted a tax levy higher than that of the PTELL threshold, so it was used to the limited budget. The city

also has enough money in reserves

so it won’t be hit by the law right away.

“We’ve intentionally forced ourselves with a small increase in budget (each year),” he said. “It’s not a major concern in the

immediate future. Long term? Maybe.”