Quincy council adopts property-tax levy increase to shore up library funding and police, fire pensions

The Quincy City Council adopted an ordinance levying property taxes for the fiscal year beginning May 1, 2024, and ending April 30, 2025, after a 9–5 roll-call vote.

Council members and staff emphasized that the levy will fund statutory obligations rather than new street projects. Sherry, a city finance staff member who distributed levy information at the meeting, told the council the levy pays for general-obligation bonds, about half of police and fire pension costs and the library obligation. "The property tax levy pays for the bonds, the general obligation bonds of the city," Sherry said during the discussion.

Alderman Bergman summarized the practical effect on homeowners: "This current amendment will raise property taxes approximately $22" on a $150,000 house, he said, adding that roughly $12 of that increase would fund the library and about $10 would go toward police and fire pensions. Council members questioned whether the levy would finance capital projects such as street repairs; staff responded that capital infrastructure is funded through a separate capital projects fund supported by a home-rule purchase tax, not this levy.

Several aldermen urged clarity for residents about where new revenue will be used. One council member noted the 2019 bond issue and the city's existing debt obligations, and staff said a portion of the levy is intended to service those bonds.

The ordinance was placed for a roll-call vote after discussion. The motion passed with nine aldermen voting yes and five voting no. The council scheduled no additional changes to the levy at the meeting and the ordinance now moves into the statute for implementation as adopted.

The immediate next step is the clerk's finalization of the levy ordinance for bookkeeping and county tax rolls; no additional hearings were announced during the meeting.