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Northfield Township Road District Approves 4.6% Levy Reduction, First Tax Cut in Three Decades
NORTHBROOK, Ill. — The Northfield Township Road District Board of Trustees voted unanimously in December 2025 to lower the Road District’s tax levy by 4.6% compared to the prior year, marking the first levy reduction in more than 30 years while maintaining current service levels.
“This levy reduction reflects a line-by-line review of the District’s budget,” said Highway Commissioner Michael Korman, who took office one year ago. “It allows us to fund the roadway without increasing the burden on taxpayers. I’m proud the Board of Trustees stood together on this.”
This tax reduction effort was anchored by a 10-year property tax revenue analysis, which showed the actual tax extension, also known as resident property taxes, grew every single year: from $3 million to $4.1 million. In past years, the District has consistently captured close to its Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, or PTELL, ceiling, which has driven the increased tax burden.
Despite a decade of inflation, total expenses rose from $1.58 million to $2.02 million, an increase of 28% over 10 years or about 2.5% annualized, according to the District.

The unanimous Board vote reflects broad agreement that the District can continue meeting its core obligations under the leaner budget. Commissioner Korman credited a top-to-bottom review of contracts, staffing, and recurring expenditures for creating the headroom to reduce the levy without cutting services.
“A unanimous vote on a tax cut doesn’t happen by accident,” Korman said. “It happens when the numbers are sound, the plan is credible and the leadership is serious. That’s what we have here.”
The lowered levy takes effect for the 2027 property tax year and will be reflected in the first installment tax bill that year.
About the Northfield Township Road District
The Northfield Township Road District, established in 1850 and operating under the Illinois Highway Code (605 ILCS 5/), maintains the roads, bridges and rights-of-way serving the unincorporated areas of Northfield Township in Cook County, Illinois — a 34.6-square-mile township with a 2020 Census population of 91,565, primarily including portions of the villages of Northbrook, Glenview and Northfield.

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