McHenry County voters approve conservation district tax request

McHenry County voters appear to have given approval for the McHenry County Conservation District to raise its tax cap.

The “yes” side is up 50.28% to 49.72% and a margin of about 850 votes. More than 154,000 people voted in the referendum, according to the McHenry County Clerk’s unofficial results.

Before votes were added to the tally Tuesday, the “no” side held a narrow lead. Mail ballots had to have been postmarked by Nov. 5 but arrive at the clerk’s office by Tuesday to count.

After the polls had closed in early November, conservation district officials were cautiously optimistic the measure would pass.

According to the conservation district website, the additional funding will help improve access to facilities and protect water quality and wildlife habitats.

With the referendum’s apparent passage, a homeowner with a property worth $300,000 can expect to pay $209 in taxes to the conservation district next year and $115 in 2026. If the referendum had failed, the homeowner would have paid $88 in 2026.

Before the election, the conservation district said its share of property taxes would decrease regardless of the referendum’s passage because of retiring debts. The conservation district levy will increase by about $3 million.

The conservation district was the only item that flipped on Tuesday.

In McHenry County Board District 2, Democratic challenger John “Jack” Collins expanded his lead over Republican incumbent John Reinert. Collins is up by about 400 votes.

Reinert and two other incumbents lost their reelection bids, giving the Republican Party a 15-3 supermajority on the county board.