Tazewell County budget presenter recommends PTEL increase; board approves multiple fund amendments and allocations

The Tazewell County board heard a budget presentation that proposes $86,476,997 in revenues and $141,645,264 in expenditures for fiscal year 2026 and recommends using the 2.9% increase allowed under the Property Tax Extension Limitation law (PTEL), which the presenter said would raise the county levy by $583,851 and amounts to roughly $9 on a $175,000 home.

The budget presenter summarized the packet and the new budgeting software, noting ‘‘We are expecting revenues of $86,476,997 in fiscal year 26.’’ She said capital outlay will be the single largest expenditure category in FY26 at about $55.4 million, driven primarily by the Justice Center Annex project and planned building improvements.

Why it matters: the presenter emphasized that many county funds rely heavily on the property tax levy and that choosing not to take the PTEL increase this year would create cumulative revenue losses. She presented a 10-year illustration estimating about $6.4–$6.5 million in forgone revenue if the board holds the levy flat in FY26 rather than applying the allowed PTEL increase.

Key figures and assumptions from the presentation include a 4% nonunion wage increase, no recommended rise in medical premiums for FY26 (attributed to a network change), general fund revenues of about $43.8 million against $44.23 million in planned expenditures, and an adjusted operating surplus (excluding one-time items and contingency) of about $4.7 million.

The presenter walked the board through levy allocation choices by fund. She noted the county had paid down a state-imposed IMRF liability in recent years and proposed reducing the IMRF levy by roughly 21% for FY26, reallocating some levy growth to the county bridge fund (+8.68%) and county health (+~6.7%), and proposing a 7.84% increase for the general fund to rebuild balances.

On homeowner impact, the presenter said: "It's $9 exactly is the difference for 1 year's worth of property tax increase for a $175,000 home value." She also warned that levy increases compound over time and cannot be reclaimed later if not taken.

Board action: after the presentation the board entertained and approved a series of motions and amendments that move the budget forward to final consideration. Amendments approved included modest line-item changes for the state's attorney (membership dues), court services postage costs, county clerk personnel adjustments, a human resources subscription reallocation tied to a salary study, $18,000 added for three historical markers (approximately $6,000 each) pending historical-committee approvals, and a range of special-revenue and grant allocations (IMRF, county motor fuel tax, township bridge funds, county health line-item restorations for potential dental services, CIPA, LATCF and other grants). The Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) was revised in the packet; the board added additional contingency specifically for the animal control facility project and adjusted timing for some Justice Center Annex expenditures.

Votes at a glance: motions were carried by voice vote on the general-fund amendments and on the series of special revenue funds and grants covered during the meeting. Several items were approved by unanimous "aye" voice votes as recorded in the discussion; the formal property tax levy ordinance will be presented and voted on by the full board at a later meeting.

What comes next: the board approved the line-item amendments and fund motions required to assemble the FY26 budget packet; final adoption of the tax levy and the full FY26 budget is scheduled for the formal levy ordinance and final budget vote at a later meeting.