McHenry Times

McHenry County issued the following announcement on Nov. 18.

The McHenry County Board approved a 2021 budget Tuesday evening that reflects its longtime financial strength and resiliency in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The $208.4 million budget is balanced and the property-tax levy will remain flat except for capturing about $323,000 in new, first-year growth. The county will rely on its strong fund balance reserves to compensate for a projected $1.38 million shortfall in general fund revenues caused by the pandemic.

“McHenry County government’s long history of disciplined budgeting has allowed us to overcome the unprecedented challenges and expenses wrought by the global pandemic,” County Board Chairman Jack Franks, D-Marengo, said. “The fact that we can keep the levy flat despite our increased costs and decreased revenues, after three straight years of reducing the property tax levy, speaks volumes about McHenry County’s fiscal stewardship.”

While there is an acknowledgement that the COVID-19 pandemic has created a near-term shortfall, it is anticipated that the shortfall eventually will be offset by state Local CURE Program funding. Initial projections early into the pandemic that predicted a significant hit in sales tax revenue were tempered by strong online sales; the county is projecting a 4 percent decline in non-property-tax revenues next year.

Next year’s budget is $6.9 million less than the $215.4 million budget for the current fiscal year – much of that is due to a reduction in Division of Transportation capital outlay, which is budgeted the year it is approved. County government has not diminished or eliminated any services.

“McHenry County for many years has made cutting costs a top priority, long before the COVID-19 pandemic slammed government and household budgets everywhere,” Finance and Audit Committee Chairman Mike Skala, R-Huntley, said. “Our longstanding policy of fiscal prudence means we can continue to weather this storm without asking for more from our taxpayers.”

McHenry County has not looked to capture new first-year property tax growth, which is exempt from the tax cap law, since 2016. The County Board has reduced its levy for three consecutive years, saving taxpayers more than $28 million over the three-year period had the levy remained at its 2016 amount.

Maintaining a flat property tax levy does not guarantee that a taxpayer’s bill next year will not increase due to a higher property assessment or other local governments increasing their tax rates. County government accounts for slightly less than 10 percent of a McHenry County property owner’s tax bill.

If you need help as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, you can visit the county’s COVID-19 resources page at www.mchenrycountyil.gov/covid19resources, and McHenry County residents can call 211 for assistance as well. Businesses and employees needing assistance can find resources at the Resume McHenry County website at www.resumemchenrycounty.com.

Original source can be found here.