$155M Lake County Forest Preserves Referendum: What You Need To Know

Community Corner

$155M Lake County Forest Preserves Referendum: What You Need To Know If approved by Lake County voters, funds would be used for land acquisition and public access improvements and habitat restoration.

LAKE COUNTY, IL — Voters in Lake County will be asked to vote yes or no on a referendum question approved by the Lake County Forest Preserves this past summer.

If OK'd by voters during Tuesday's general election, taxpayers will see a higher property tax bill, which will in turn add $155 million in funds to the forest preserves' coffers. The funds would be used for land acquisition and public access improvements and habitat restoration, according to officials with the Lake County Forest Preserves.

Lake Co. Forest Preserves OKs $155M Referendum Question

Lake Co. Forest Preserves Referendum: What You Need To Know

The estimated annual increase on the tax bill for a Lake County resident, who has a home valued at $300,000, would be about $33.

"If approved, the new funding would be used to protect more land and expand the benefits the forest preserves provide to all of us," said Alex Ty Kovach, executive director for the Lake County Forest Preserves.

The new funding would be used to:

Acquire and restore additional lands to ensure they can be enjoyed by future generations in every part of Lake County.

Protect and restore wildlife habitat that is home to native plants and animals, some of which are threatened or endangered.

Build important trail connections.

Voters in Lake County have been getting out ahead of the election to cast their ballot. Lake County Clerk Anthony Vega told the Lake County News-Sun last week that there's been a lot of interest in local races and referendums, including the forest preserves referendum.

Lines have been reported at early voting sites across the county since more sites opened for voting on Oct. 21. Two days after the additional sites opened, 21,904 had cast their ballots early in Lake County, according to the Lake County News-Sun.

"Different sites are busier this year, like Lake Forest and Antioch," Vega said. "There is a lot of interest in local races and referendums, like the forest preserves and the Mundelein school referendum."