In an effort to provide some relief to taxpayers, the County Board directed that the budget be developed keeping the County’s property tax levy flat (or not taking the allowable levy growth based on the Consumer Price Index). This keeps $3.4 million in taxpayers’ pockets.  The only increase in property tax revenue will come from growth on new property. (As a reminder, Lake County’s portion of your property tax bill is about 7%).  The proposed FY19 operating budget—which funds the County’s day-to-day operations—is $3.3 million less than last year (or 1%) as a result of efficiencies from shared services with other governments, technology enhancements, and operational improvements. The budget can be viewed at lakecountyil.gov/budget.