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Residents urge lower tax rate as Henry County holds public hearing on reassessment-driven increase
Summary
With a recent reassessment raising many residential values sharply, citizens urged the board to adopt the county administrator's recommended 48-cent rate instead of the advertised 50 cents; the board scheduled a final budget meeting for May 5 and cited state funding uncertainty and rising local costs as drivers of the proposed rate.
Henry County held a public hearing April 28 on proposed real-estate tax rates for fiscal year 2026–27 after a countywide reassessment increased residential values in many neighborhoods.
The county advertised a maximum rate of $0.50 per $100 of assessed value but staff and some supervisors had proposed a lower, revenue-neutral rate near $0.48. Several residents urged the board to adopt the 48-cent recommendation rather than the advertised 50-cent cap.
Ridgeway resident John Lexa told the board his residential assessment rose from $140,900 to $268,100 and said the higher tax burden would be painful for seniors and others on fixed incomes. "That's a 90% increase," Lexa said, describing an estimated tax bill jump of about $558 for his household at the proposed rate. Another speaker, Andrew Palmer of Collinsville, asked the board to adopt the administrator's recommended 48 cents, saying the advertised 50-cent cap would compound reassessment increases already absorbed by residents.
Other speakers questioned the relationship between the advertised revenue increase and the proposed budget: Jody Duncan noted that moving the rate to 50 cents would raise revenue by about 35% while the proposed county budget shows roughly a 4% spending increase, and asked where the additional revenue would be allocated. Board members and staff responded that state funding changes and local cost pressures were key budget drivers.
Supervisor Lawless explained several factors the board considered when discussing higher rates: an estimated shortfall tied to the adult detention center, changes in state funding for localities and constitutional officers, and increased refuse-contract costs that together required local revenue adjustments. "There's a deficit of 3 million from the adult detention center... and another million that the state had provided previously, and refuse increases," he said, summarizing why additional local revenue is under consideration.
Board members emphasized the timing uncertainty because the General Assembly had not finalized the state budget; the county said final state allocations (especially education funding) could affect the board's May decision. The board scheduled a budget meeting for Tuesday, May 5 at 3:00 p.m. to consider the final tax rate and adoption of the budget after reviewing any updated state figures.
What's next: The board will meet May 5 at 3 p.m. to consider final action on the FY 2026–27 budget and the real-estate tax rate. No final rate was adopted at the April 28 meeting.
