McHenry County Conservation District still hopes for victory as its tax request trails by small margin

Less than 300 votes separate the “yes” from the “no” votes for the McHenry County Conservation District levy, with those opposing the tax measure ahead. But the district hasn’t given up hope of the proposal’s eventual passage.

With all precincts counted in unofficial results and the potential for more mail-in ballots to count, the “no” votes stood at 50.09%, compared with 49.91% of votes in favor of the small increase to the district’s tax levy.

When asked about the referendum Wednesday, MCCD said in an email that the referendum is too close to call.

“With such a narrow margin – just a fraction of a percentage point – it is essential that every vote is counted, including late-arriving vote-by-mail and provisional ballots. For now, we remain cautiously optimistic as we patiently await the final results. Every vote counts, and we are hopeful for an outcome that reflects the community’s commitment to protecting our water, wildlife and way of life,” MCCD Director of Marketing and Education Caitlynn Martinez-McWhorter told the Northwest Herald on Wednesday.

The conservation district said that voters would see their taxes go down, regardless of the referendum’s passage, but taxes will decrease more if the “no” vote prevails. With the extension in the property tax cap the district sought, a homeowner with a property worth $300,000 would pay $209 in taxes next year and $115 in 2026, but $88 if it fails, district officials said.

With a “yes” vote, the conservation district planned to increase its levy by about $3 million, and officials would use the additional funds to protect water and wildlife habitats in the county and improve access to facilities for those with disabilities, according to the MCCD website.

When asked about voter outreach this fall, MCCD officials said last week that they went to community events at which board and staff members shared information about the referendum and general information about the conservation district. Officials said they would have been at those events even without the ballot question “in order to foster community engagement and help residents learn about all of the services we provide.”

Officials said people they have talked to at outreach events, via phone or email, or out and about at conservation areas and programs all have seemed interested in learning more about the referendum.

“Overwhelmingly, the McHenry County voters we have spoken with have voiced support for the work of the district and an understanding of the need for this proposition,” Martinez-McWhorter told the Northwest Herald last week. “The residents of McHenry County have always been very environmentally conscious, hence the creation of the conservation district in 1971. Access to nature and outdoor recreation are so integrated into what it means to be a McHenry County resident.”

In other ballot measures, a referendum on whether to allow the Huntley Park District to take out $18 million in bonds appears to have gotten the thumbs-up from voters. In the McHenry County portion of the district, the “yes” vote has a 55% to 45% lead with all precincts reporting, according to the clerk’s unofficial results. In the much smaller Kane County part of the district, the “no” vote was slightly ahead but not enough to offset the McHenry County outcome.

A referendum to allow Harvard to appoint rather than elect a city clerk appears headed for defeat. It had about 68.2% “no” votes with all precincts reporting.

With 100% of precincts reporting, Cary voters appear to support allowing District 26 to take out $20 million of building bonds.

In Greenwood, a referendum to allow the village to levy 0.25% was overwhelmingly defeated.