Council Approves 2025 Tax Levy; Tax Rate Expected to Decrease

Litchfield City Council Meeting | December 18, 2025

Article Summary: The Litchfield City Council unanimously approved a $1.8 million tax levy for the upcoming fiscal year, with projections showing a slight decrease in the city’s tax rate due to rising property values.

Tax Levy Key Points:

• Total Levy: The approved corporate levy is $1,846,887, an increase of approximately 4.89% over the prior year.

• Tax Rate: The estimated tax rate is projected to drop from 1.3911 to approximately 1.354 per $100 of equalized assessed valuation (EAV).

• EAV Growth: The City’s Equalized Assessed Valuation increased by approximately $10 million, largely due to new development.

• No Hearing Required: Because the levy increase was less than 5%, a Truth in Taxation hearing was not legally required.

The Litchfield City Council on Thursday, December 18, 2025, voted to approve the tax levy ordinance for the fiscal year beginning May 1, 2025.

The ordinance sets the total amount to be collected from property taxes at $1,846,887. This figure represents an increase of approximately 4.89% compared to the 2024 extension of $1,760,747.

Despite the increase in the total dollar amount collected, the tax rate paid by property owners is expected to decrease. City officials attributed this to a robust increase in the city’s Equalized Assessed Valuation (EAV), which rose by roughly $10 million due to new developments broadening the tax base.

“Last year we had a tax rate of 1.39. This year we have a tax rate of 1.35,” a city administrator explained during the meeting.

Officials noted that while the rate is dropping, individual tax bills will still depend on specific property assessments. If a resident’s home value increased significantly or if improvements were made, their specific taxes could still rise.

Since the levy request did not exceed 105% of the previous year’s extension, the Council was not required to hold a Truth in Taxation public hearing. The motion to approve the levy was made by Alderperson Sara Zumwalt and seconded by Alderperson Marilyn Sisson. It passed with a unanimous roll call vote.