McHenry County staff present two levy options as public hearing on $73.8M levy closes

The McHenry County Board Committee opened a Truth in Taxation public hearing on Nov. 13 to receive comment on the county's proposed $73,802,726 property tax levy for the fiscal year beginning Dec. 1, 2025. The hearing was properly noticed under Illinois' Truth in Taxation statute (35 ILCS 200/18-55 through 18-90); no levy adoption was taken at the session and final action is set for the Nov. 18 regular meeting.

County CFO Carrie Weiss and Treasurer Donna Kurtz presented the core choices facing the board. The number on public display is roughly $73.8 million; after staff reductions and an abatement strategy the working proposal would reduce the levy in practice to about $69.5 million on an appropriations budget of $288.7 million. Weiss said the public-display average household cost of the levy is $59.81; using an abatement the average can drop to $32.99. Treasurer Kurtz presented a long-range cash-flow analysis showing two scenarios: a lower near-term increase (CPI+new growth) that keeps near-term taxpayer impact smaller but projects steadily declining reserves, and a 'limited look-back' approach that preserves reserves and liquidity but increases the average homeowner's annual bill by about $33 on a $325,000 market-value home compared with the CPI baseline.

Why it matters: Treasurer Kurtz warned the board that reserves and investment income are the county's first line of defense against unexpected costs, and that eroding those reserves would reduce the county's financial flexibility. Kurtz's presentation showed the potential for cash-flow deterioration over a multi-year horizon under the CPI baseline, while the look-back option maintains longer-term stability at higher near-term cost to taxpayers.

What was said: "We've done a lot of work to cut nearly $6 million from the budget," CFO Carrie Weiss said, explaining reductions and revenue adjustments that staff factored into the abatement proposals. Treasurer Donna Kurtz framed the choice: "This is the path that keeps us ahead of expenses," she said of the option that preserves reserves, and added that the difference between the two options for the typical homeowner is in the low tens of dollars annually.

Public input and clarifications: The hearing included one public commenter asking for five-year projections and details on how abatements operate. Weiss clarified that an abatement is applied before the county clerk computes the extension (it is not a rebate mailed to taxpayers) and reiterated that the proposed levy as presented does not include funds for mental-health services (those were moved to sales tax by prior action).

Process next steps: The board voted to close the Truth in Taxation hearing on Nov. 13. The county board will consider final adoption of the levy at its Nov. 18 regular meeting; members indicated they may offer amendments or request additional staff analyses (including hiring-freeze scenarios and lists of candidate programmatic cuts) prior to that vote.