Rockford residents approved – by a nearly 2-to-1 vote -- for the third time the imposition of a 1% sales tax that funds public infrastructure, including road and bridge repair for the next five years. This measure would maintain rather than increase the current tax rate. It is expected to yield about $60 million over the next five years.
In DeKalb County, voters in the Village of Waterman approved a 1% sales tax to fund municipal operations, on public infrastructure, or property tax relief with nearly two-thirds of the voters voting Yes.
The Village of Elburn, in Kane County, will create a 1% sales tax to fund municipal operations, expenditures on public infrastructure, or property tax relief in increments of 0.25% annually over four years. That measure was approved by a 22-point margin.
Voters in the Village of Johnsburg, in McHenry County, approved initiating sales tax of 0.5% for the same purposes, with 57% favoring the measure. A similar measure in the Village of Fox Lake, which straddles the Lake-McHenry County line, went down to resounding defeat, with only about 27% of the voters voting in favor of it.
Voters in Hillcrest, in Ogle County, approved a sales tax increase from 6.25% 6.75% for general purposes by a 22-point margin. Monroe Center voters approved an increase of twice that size by about 10 percentage points.
Lee County voters turned down a 1% countywide sales tax to fund the Lee County Detention Facility, by roughly 62% against and 38% in favor.
In Carroll County, the fifth attempt to establish a 1% sales tax to fund educational facility needs went down with barely 400 votes of 4,822 cast making the difference.