The Champaign City Council voted Tuesday to levy a property tax of $1.312 per hundred dollars of assessed property value for 2003.

The tax rate is the same as last year's and had been the target rate for the last nine years, wrote Champaign city manager Steve Carter in a report. The tax was expected to yield $12,803,800 in total revenue.

The council also voted to decrease the property tax levy to the fire department and police department pension funds by $512,000 in order to increase the general fund levy, which, according to Carter's report, was 43 percent lower than 2002's levy.

Von Young, a retired Champaign police lieutenant, said it was unacceptable for the council to take pension funding away from the police, who "risk their lives and their families' lives" daily.

Champaign mayor Jerry Schweighart said the city council had always been loyal to the police and fire departments.

"I assure you the money will be there to pay the pension," he said.

Carter wrote in his report that Champaign was obligated by Illinois law to fully fund police and fire pension costs.

— Jeff Fijol