The DeKalb County Board decided this month not to increase the county property tax levy request from $28.2 million in 2026.

That decision could reduce the tax rate by 7.9%, according to county documents.

While the tax rate for an individual property taxpayer is poised to go down, that doesn’t guarantee a lower tax bill. If a property’s value increased by a larger margin than the reduced tax rate, a taxpayer could have to pay more toward the county portion of their tax bill than in previous years.

County officials estimate that property values in the county have increased by about 9% in the past year, according to county documents. Those officials, including interim County Administrator Derek Hiland, believe that the county portion of a DeKalb County property taxpayer’s bill will remain steady or decrease slightly.

The tax levy was approved minutes before the County Board approved the fiscal 2026 budget, which uses tax levy funds to support a variety of county services.

County Board Chair John Frieders, a Republican from District 12, thanked Hiland and department heads after a unanimous vote to approve the budget Dec. 17. He also thanked board members Scott Campbell, a Democrat from District 7, and Roy Plote, a Republican from District 11, for their efforts.

“It was a lot of effort,” Frieders said. “It was a long process, but I think it went well in the end. It does take a lot of time.”

Of the $28.2 million that will be levied by DeKalb County, 68.2% (about $19 million) will go toward the county’s general fund, according to county documents.

The vast majority of the remaining almost $9 million is split between the highway department (almost $4 million) and mental health resource funding (about $3 million).

The fiscal 2026 budget that was passed by the DeKalb County Board was balanced at $38.7 million.