McHenry County Board puts budget, levy up for review, but not without controversy

The McHenry County Board put its 2025 budget and property tax levy up for 30-day review Tuesday evening, but it wasn’t without controversy.

When it came time for the budget to go for review, board member Eric Hendricks, R-Lake in the Hills, proposed amending the county’s property tax levy by decreasing it 3%, in line with one of the scenarios officials presented to the board several weeks ago.

Hendricks got a second from board member Matt Kunkle, R-Algonquin, but board member Joe Gottemoller, R-Crystal Lake, said it was out of order. When Hendricks asked why, Gottemoller said the item was presented on the agenda as a vote to place the budget and levy on public review, and to change that would be a violation of the Open Meetings Act.

Hendricks then tried to waive the 30-day review period, which Kunkle seconded. Gottemoller then asked the state’s attorney’s representative to research if the board could waive state requirements. The state’s attorney said under the appropriations bill, there was a 15-day waiting period.

Hendricks asked whether the board could “amend the language of what’s being reviewed,” and the state’s attorney said that was part of the review process.

Hendricks, who is up for reelection next month against Democrat Rester Dogboe, said last week that he was planning to push for the 3% cut.

Public comment Tuesday was generally in favor of reducing the levy, but county leaders have stressed that all of the scenarios they have presented to the County Board will reduce the portion of property owners’ tax bills that funds county operations. The tax cut is in large part due to county voters’ decision in March to change the Mental Health Board’s funding from a tax levy to a sales tax. Officials upheld their vow to get rid of the portion of the levy that funded the Mental Health Board, but some on the County Board have expressed their desire to lower taxes further than that.

The county’s share of the tax bill is a small slice of the average taxpayer’s tax bill. According to county documents, a person with a home worth $350,000 would pay $481.87 in county taxes under the scenario that includes the 3% decrease, which is a reduction of about $84 from last year. However, the levy scenario that’s going up for review and that’s recommended by county staff would result in a $60 property tax reduction for the same home, according to county documents.

The county said in a Wednesday afternoon news release that the $270 million proposed budget is over $20 million more than it was last year. A large driver of the budget increase is the Randall Road widening project that the county has been saving for for years, according to the release. The project is 80% federally funded, according to the release.

If the County Board approves a levy scenario that provides funding for three new sheriff’s deputies, as requested by the sheriff, a taxpayer would pay about $505 in county taxes, a decrease of about $60 from last year. That would be about 6.4% of their tax bill, according to county records.

That scenario, with a total levy of about $65 million, is the one that is currently on 30-day review. The County Board will approve the budget and levy Nov. 19, after the Nov. 5 election, in which half of the County Board seats are up, but before the new board is seated. The county’s fiscal year starts Dec. 1, and the new County Board members get sworn in Dec. 2.