ELECTION DAY - NOVEMBER 3, 2026
A $1 billion ask could cost taxpayers $1.78 billion.
On November 3, voters in five Illinois communities decide on $1.002 billion in new school and library borrowing. Add interest, and the bill could top $1.78 billion. Find your measure, get the facts, and tell your neighbors.
Which measure is on your ballot?
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Vernon Area Library
Data comes from the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR), the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), district and library financial reports and ballot documents, the Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U, Tax Foundation (Table 33), and 30-year AAA municipal benchmark rates for June 26 and September 25, 2026. “Sample home” comparisons use one sampled property near each district or library and include overlapping taxing bodies without exemptions; the national benchmark reflects owner-occupied housing. Interest figures are illustrative models, not borrowing quotes. Each measure’s sources and qualifications appear in its section above. Facts reviewed October 2026.
Your neighbors are voting too. Make sure they know the full cost.
Share this page, then stay in the fight through November 3.
Three things every board should answer.
Government can give voters neutral facts. It shouldn't use taxpayers' own money to campaign for a tax increase. Before asking for more, every board owes voters these answers.
How $1 billion turns into $1.78 billion.
The number on the ballot is only the loan. Here's what's hiding behind it.
Of the library’s own poll respondents called high property taxes a good reason to oppose.
69%
Pick your community to see what's being asked, what it could really cost, and four things every voter should know before November 3.
Asking $295M
$527M+
See the facts below.
COOK COUNTY
District 214
Asking $317M
$567M+
See the facts below.
OSWEGO AREA
Oswego 308
Asking $68M
$122M+
See the facts below.
DUPAGE COUNTY
Westmon 201
Asking $282.5M
$505M+
See the facts below.
KANE & DUPAGE COUNTIES
St. Charles 303
Asking $39.5M
$63.8M+
See the facts below.
VERNON AREA LIBRARY
Vernon Area Library
A bond referendum asks voters to approve borrowing. Property taxpayers pay it back, and in our models that takes 20 to 25 years.
1. A bond is a loan.
A benchmark for 30-year top-rated municipal bonds rose from 4.10% on June 26 to 5.08% on September 25, 2026, nearly 24% higher. Published tax estimates may not reflect it yet.
3. Rates just jumped.
Like a mortgage, you repay what was borrowed plus interest. In four of the five measures, about 44¢ of every repayment dollar goes to interest (38¢ for the library).
2. Interest is the other half of the bill.
Whats' the full cost?
Principal, interest, fees, repayment years, and operating costs, updated for today's borrowing rates.
What if it fails?
Show household taxes with and without the referendum in the same future years, including debt that's retiring.
Aren't taxes high enough already?
Illinois already has BOTH the highest property taxes and the highest combined state and local taxes in the nation.
SOURCES & METHODOLOGY
Paid for by the Prairie State Taxpayer Alliance.
Illustrative model: 5.08% (the 30-year AAA municipal benchmark on September 25, 2026), equal annual payments over 25 years (20 for the library), excluding fees. This is not a district borrowing quote; actual terms may differ. Rounded figures may not sum exactly. Principal reflects the ballot proposals, not total project budgets.
You can love your library and still say no to another tax bill.
What's on the ballot? Bonds toward a $53 million library renovation and expansion. The library expects $13.5 million from other funding sources.
The high points
In modeled interest on $39.5M. That’s 38¢ of every repayment dollar.
$24.3M
Already expected from other funding. Existing funds should cover top-priority repairs.
$13.5M
Maintain the library with existing resources. Taxpayers already pay enough.
VOTE NO.
District 214
Yearly property tax on a sample home, about 3× the national average.
2.72%
Fund the repairs. Skip the decades of interest.
What's on the ballot? Repairs and improvements across seven campuses, including safety systems, accessibility, roofs, HVAC, and instructional spaces.
The high points
Property taxes per student since the 1970s, after inflation. Enrollment is down about 40%.
+155%
In repairs the district’s reserves could fund over 25 years, vs. $295M borrowed.
~$500M
Demand a repair plan funded from existing revenues, and full disclosure of borrowing costs.
VOTE NO.
Oswego 308
Yearly property tax on a sample home, about 3× the national average.
2.68%
When old debt ends, taxpayers should get relief, not a new loan.
What's on the ballot? Districtwide facility and site improvements across 22 school buildings, including infrastructure, safety, and learning spaces.
The high points
In modeled interest on $317M. That’s 44¢ of every repayment dollar.
$250M
As old debt retires, voters should see household costs if it passes and if it fails.
2 bills
Let retiring debt provide relief, and fund essential repairs from existing resources.
VOTE NO.
St. Charles 303
Yearly property tax on a sample home, about 175% above the national average.
2.47%
Fix the roofs first. Expansions can wait.
What's on the ballot? Building repairs, accessibility and career education improvements, plus a physical education and athletic facility.
The high points
In modeled interest on $282.5M. That’s 44¢ of every repayment dollar.
$223M
Bundles roofs and safety with additions and an athletic facility.
1 ballot
Prioritize repairs, use existing resources, and avoid unnecessary borrowing costs.
VOTE NO.
Westmont 201
Yearly property tax on a sample home, about 141% above the national average.
2.17%
Use the space you have before building more.
What's on the ballot? A new K–5 elementary school to replace Manning and Miller, with land acquisition and site improvements.
The high points
In modeled interest on $68M. That’s 44¢ of every repayment dollar.
$54M
Districtwide attendance since 2002. Fill existing space before building new.
-22%
Use existing space wisely, and put consolidation savings toward repairs before committing to decades of debt.
VOTE NO.
Yearly property tax on a sample home, about 3× the national average.
2.68%
What's on the ballot? Districtwide facility and site improvements across 22 school buildings, including infrastructure, safety, and learning spaces.
The high points
In modeled interest on $317M. That’s 44¢ of every repayment dollar.
$250M
As old debt retires, voters should see household costs if it passes and if it fails.
2 bills
Let retiring debt provide relief, and fund essential repairs from existing resources.
VOTE NO.
Oswego 308
When old debt ends, taxpayers should get relief, not a new loan.
Yearly property tax on a sample home, about 175% above the national average.
2.47%
What's on the ballot? Building repairs, accessibility and career education improvements, plus a physical education and athletic facility.
The high points
In modeled interest on $282.5M. That’s 44¢ of every repayment dollar.
$223M
Bundles roofs and safety with additions and an athletic facility.
1 ballot
Prioritize repairs, use existing resources, and avoid unnecessary borrowing costs.
VOTE NO.
St. Charles 303
Fix the roofs first. Expansions can wait.
Yearly property tax on a sample home, about 141% above the national average.
2.17%
What's on the ballot? A new K–5 elementary school to replace Manning and Miller, with land acquisition and site improvements.
The high points
In modeled interest on $68M. That’s 44¢ of every repayment dollar.
$54M
Districtwide attendance since 2002. Fill existing space before building new.
-22%
Let retiring debt provide relief, and fund essential repairs from existing resources.
VOTE NO.
Westmont 201
Use the space you have before building more.
Of the library’s own poll respondents called high property taxes a good reason to oppose.
69%
What's on the ballot? Bonds toward a $53 million library renovation and expansion. The library expects $13.5 million from other funding sources.
The high points
In modeled interest on $39.5M. That’s 38¢ of every repayment dollar.
$24.3M
Already expected from other funding. Existing funds should cover top-priority repairs.
$13.5M
Prioritize repairs, use existing resources, and avoid unnecessary borrowing costs.
VOTE NO.
Vernon Area Library
You can love your library and still say no to another tax bill.