From McHenry County:
Mental Health Board Sales Tax a Success Board Collects More in Sales Tax Than They Did From Levy
WOODSTOCK, Ill. – In its first full fiscal year, the McHenry County Mental HealthBoard sales tax generated more revenue than its old property-tax levy did.
The Mental Health Board received $11,156,562 in sales tax revenue in 2025, which is $181,562 more than the $10.975 million it received from its final tax extension before its levy was eliminated.
Voters in a 2024 referendum approved eliminating the Mental Health Board’s property-tax levy and replacing it with a quarter-percent sales tax.
“The budget numbers for 2025 prove decisively that voters approved a win-win when they passed the referendum – they eliminated a property tax levy and replaced it with a fairer, more sustainable sales tax,” County Board Chairman Mike Buehler, R-Crystal Lake, said.
“What’s more, as McHenry County’s sales tax revenues continue to increase, the Mental Health Board is in a much better position now to address mental health needs and challenges.”
On top of the sales tax revenue, the Mental Health Board received more than $4 million in property tax revenue overlap from 2024 before the levy was officially phased out – the board has received a total of $15,221,986 in sales tax revenue since it went into effect.
Under the sales tax, a McHenry County consumer pays an additional 25 cents in sales tax for every $100 of retail purchases.
McHenry County [government] has steadily reduced its reliance on property taxes over the past decade through prudent budgeting – it has reduced its tax levy from $79.4 million in 2017 to $67.7 million for the current 2026 fiscal year.
On average, McHenry County Government accounts for only 6.5% of total residential property tax bills.
The McHenry County Mental Health Board was created by voter referendum in 1967 to fund local agencies that treat and educate county residents affected by mental illness, developmental disability and substance abuse, and to help other populations in need of
behavioral health care. You can learn more about the board and its mission by visiting
www.mc708.org.
