Voters OK Kane County Forest Preserves Upgrades; Referendum Passes
KANE COUNTY, IL — More improvements to forest preserves in Kane County could be coming soon as voters appear poised to pass a forest preserve district referendum that appeared on their ballots Tuesday.
With all precincts reporting, 122,532 voted in favor of the proposition to increase the limiting rate and 86,611 voted “no,” according to unofficial results. The measure is expected to increase property taxes for homeowners by about $35 per year for residents living in homes valued at $350,000.
Here is how the referendum appeared on voters’ ballots:
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Shall the limiting rate under the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law for the Forest Preserve District of Kane County, Illinois, be increased by an additional amount equal to 0.029163% above the limiting rate for levy year 2023 for the purpose of preserving and maintaining forests and natural lands; acquiring lands to protect rivers and watersheds; planting trees and protecting wildlife habitat; enhancing flood control and drainage; maintaining and improving forest preserve woodlands, wetlands and prairies; providing nature education and outdoor opportunities for all ages; increasing forest preserve access and safety; improving recreational amenities such as hiking and biking trails, camping and fishing; and for other forest preserve purposes and be equal to 0.074313% of the equalized assessed value of the taxable property therein for levy year 2024?
However, because of savings from bond payoffs and refinancing, taxes from the Kane County Forest Preserve District are set to decrease by varying amounts between 2025 to 2027. This means that taxpayers would see a reduction in overall taxes from the forest preserve district by 2027, according to forest preserve district officials.
Some of the improvements that appear on track to be covered with the passage of the referendum include:
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The funds would also be used to: preserve and maintain forests and natural land, acquire additional land, plant trees, protect rivers and watersheds, protect and improve wildlife habitat• Enhance flood control and drainage, provide nature education for all ages and improve recreational amenities such as hiking and biking trails, camping and fishing and more, according to forest preserve district officials.
“Funds would be used to further the district’s mission of conservation, recreation and environmental education,” said Benjamin Haberthur, executive director with the forest preserve district, in recent weeks. “Passage of this referendum would allow us to continue to protect open space, increase public access to nature through recreational amenities, preserve restore and enhance natural areas, expand nature programming for all ages, improve air and water quality, help reduce flooding, increase public safety patrols and more.”
More information on the forest preserve referendum can be found on the forest preserve district’s website.
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