McLean County administrator unveils $144.5 million FY2026 recommended budget and five‑year capital plan

County Administrator Taylor presented the McLean County fiscal year 2026 recommended budget and five‑year capital improvement plan at the Sept. 11 board meeting, proposing a $144,484,603 all‑funds budget, a lower property tax rate and targeted investments in staffing and capital improvements.

Taylor said the FY2026 recommended budget totals $144,484,603, a 5.3 percent increase from the adopted 2025 maintenance budget figure referenced in the presentation, and proposed a county property tax rate of 0.83759 — a decrease from the prior year. The recommended general fund total is $57,865,990. The administrator stated that property taxes constitute about 34.6% of total county revenue and that the budget is balanced.

Key items in the presentation included a $17.7 million slate of capital projects for 2026 (29 projects) that cover facility renovations and seven county highway projects; an emphasis on energy efficiencies in facility work; and a five‑year capital plan listing 82 projects beyond 2026. Taylor said the recommended budget assumes no new general‑obligation debt issuance in 2026 and that the county will continue to maintain healthy reserves.

Taylor discussed a uniform hourly wage increase of $0.70 implemented in FY2026 as part of efforts to address turnover and recruitment challenges for lower‑paid positions. She said the budget increases personnel and benefits across funds and that nearly half of the budget is for salaries and fringe benefits.

The administrator outlined a review schedule: the recommended budget would be available for public review from Sept. 12 through Oct. 13, oversight committees will review departments in October, and the board is expected to consider final adoption on Nov. 13.

Taylor also noted a 7 percent increase in the county’s equalized assessed value (EAV), and said conservative departmental budgeting limited property‑tax increases to $751,500 compared with a larger theoretical revenue increase. The presentation described major special‑revenue funds: Public Health ($10.3 million), the Nursing Home ($12.4 million) and Highway ($20.5 million) and showed categories of spending across those funds.

The presentation concluded with a motion request that the recommended levy be referred to oversight committees for review and the budget be laid on the table for public inspection; the transcript shows the presentation and referral request but does not record a completed final adoption vote at the Sept. 11 meeting.