Every year, local governments create budgets to fund essential services like schools, parks, and public safety. This process begins by estimating how much money is needed to operate these services within each jurisdiction.
Municipalities, park districts, and school districts, otherwise known as taxing districts, collect budget requests from their internal departments. These requests form the basis of an initial draft budget.
Once the draft is prepared, staff review it, making adjustments for changes in personnel, operational costs, facility upgrades, and other factors. After revisions, the taxing district typically hosts a public meeting to present the budget and gather community feedback.
After public input and due diligence, the governing board votes to adopt the budget. At this point, the annual tax levy, the amount of property tax to be collected, is officially set.
Sometimes, a taxing body determines that it needs more funding than state law normally allows. In these cases, the proposed levy increase is placed on the ballot as a referendum, giving voters the power to approve or reject it. While this may result in higher taxes, it often funds valuable community improvements, such as a new recreation center, gymnasium, or park.
Financial statements for each taxing district in the County, including their property tax levies, are below:
Taxing District Financial Statements
