Will County Forest Preserve District cuts tax rate by 27%

Will County — The Forest Preserve District of Will County has announced it will reduce its property tax rate by 27% for 2025, under its new balanced budget.

According to an announcement from the Forest Preserve District, the new balanced budget was approved Nov. 14 and includes money for operations, maintenance, land acquisition and preserve improvement projects.

The 2025 budget totals $98,203,854, which includes proceeds from a $50 million bond sale approved by the board in June for capital projects and land acquisition, and the operating budget totals $22,693,577.

According to the Forest Preserve District website, the bond issue will “will allow the district to preserve more green space for future generations and add access to open areas so people can reap the physical and mental benefits of being in nature” and will include $25 million for land preservation, $12 million for critical regional and local trail connections and the creation of new preserve access areas and $13 million for habitat restoration.

Despite the large dollar amount, the bonds would be offset by the reduced property tax rates, and would not see an increase to residents’ property tax bills.

As part of the budget, the board approved the new property tax levy which amounts to a total of $26,025,402.

The tax rate for the new levy is estimated at 0.0913 per $100 of equalized assessed valuation, according to the Forest Preserve District announcement, which is down from the 0.1253 per $100 for last year, amounting to a 26.98% decrease.

This means that the owner of a $300,000 house would pay $85 in Forest Preserve taxes in 2025, which is a reduction of $31.40 from what they paid in 2024, while the owners a $400,000 home would pay $133.33, which is $41.87 less than the prior year.

“We’re looking forward to a continuation of the Forest Preserve’s Capital Improvement Program, preserving additional open space, restoring habitats and providing new ways to access nature,” Forest Preserve Executive Director Ralph Schultz said. “The board’s decision to fully fund the operation and expansion of the Forest Preserve along with a 27% tax rate decrease is quite an accomplishment.”

Some of the projects that will be funded in 2025 under the reduced budget include enhancements to Old Plank Road Trail from Schoolhouse Road west to the Washington Street access, reconstruction of the Rock Run Greenway Trail north of Black Road, Hidden Oaks Nature Center improvements, engineering of the DuPage River Trail Weber Road Connection and the Wolf’s Crossing Road Normantown Trail Connection, the Plum Creek Greenway Trail extension from Plum Valley Preserve to Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve, improvements to the Isle a la Cache Preserve, tunnel lighting on Veterans Memorial Trail, road improvements at Messenger Woods Nature Preserve, campground improvements in Hammel Woods and a canoe and kayak launch in McKinley Woods.