Crete-Monee School Board Unanimously Rejects $503,000 Tax Levy Abatement

Crete-Monee School District 201-U Meeting | March 16, 2026

Article Summary: Opting to protect the district’s operational reserves amid financial uncertainties, the Crete-Monee School Board voted down a resolution that would have refunded over $500,000 to local taxpayers.

Levy Abatement Key Points:

• The board voted 7-0 against abating a $503,448 property tax adjustment for the 2025 levy year.

• The funds stemmed from a prior year levy adjustment intended to recover revenue lost to property tax appeals.

• The district recently received a $639,000 surplus from the closure of TIF 3 in Monee, which prompted the abatement discussion.

• Board members cited looming federal funding cuts and a lack of new expiring TIF districts as primary reasons to retain the revenue.

Prioritizing long-term financial stability, the Crete-Monee School District 201-U Board of Education on Monday, March 16, 2026, unanimously voted against abating a $503,448 property tax adjustment, choosing instead to retain the funds for district operations.

The board officially voted “Nay” on the “Resolution Providing for Abatement of 2025 Levy Adjustment.” A “Nay” vote meant the district would keep the money, while an “Aye” vote would have authorized the Will County Clerk to return the funds to taxpayers.

According to financial documents provided by Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Jason Okrasinski, the Will County Clerk’s Office calculates an annual levy adjustment to make the district whole for refunds paid out due to successful property tax appeals over the previous 12 months. For 2025, that certified adjustment amount was $503,448.

The possibility of abating—or refunding—the money to taxpayers was introduced because the district recently received $639,000 in surplus funds following the closure of TIF District 3 in Monee.

However, during a Committee of the Whole meeting earlier in the month, Board President Maurice Brown warned that while a refund is a nice gesture, the $503,448 represents less than 1% of the district’s overall $54.8 million 2024 tax extension. Spread across the entire district, the individual savings per household would be minimal, while the cumulative loss to the district’s Education Fund could be significant given upcoming financial hurdles.

“I don’t think things are going to get better for us revenue-wise over the next couple years,” Brown previously cautioned, pointing to a lack of new construction, no further TIF expirations, and a looming reduction in federal grant money.

With those financial headwinds in mind, the board engaged in a brief clarification of the voting procedure before delivering a 7-0 roll call vote against the abatement. Board members William J. Sawallisch Jr., Elizabeth Venegas, Dr. Todd C. Hall, Janine Woolfolk, Jamie Zite-Stumbris, Alejandro Gallegos, and Maurice Brown all voted “Nay,” officially keeping the $503,448 within the district’s budget.