Letter: When is a tax decrease not a decrease?

Last March, the county’s voters approved property tax relief by passing a referendum to fund the Mental Health Board with a new 0.25% sales tax. The levy for the Mental Health Board will not be in next year’s county budget or in our property tax bills. Many thanks to our County Board members.

However, the county board is currently discussing several spending scenarios for next year’s budget. The good news is that one of the options is a further decrease in the county’s property tax levy, which is supported by a number of board members. Another is a “flat” (no change) levy. Unfortunately, the other options call for more taxes for increased spending and are supported by some of our board members.

Property owners in McHenry County paid 2.5% of the value of their homes in property taxes in the fourth quarter of 2023, which is more than 2.2 times the national average, according to a real estate analysis by the financial services and investing advice company The Motley Fool. Many of our county’s citizens are saying “enough is enough.” We need real property tax relief and do not support government continuing to increase taxes for new spending. When times are tough, people make tough choices as to where they will cut spending to make ends meet. Government should do the same. I encourage people to share their opinion with County Board members.

Linda Hoch

McHenry