For fiscal 2026, the Kankakee County Board at its meeting Tuesday unanimously approved the 2025 tax levy of $26.5 million.

The Finance Committee initially approved the levy at its Nov. 20 meeting. The actual levy of $26.56 million is 2.4% more than the previous year’s $25.92 million, according to the report submitted by county Finance Director Steve McCarty.

McCarty put the tax levy in layman’s terms, using the example of a $150,000 home over a four-year span. With estimated equalized assessed value increases over the years, that home would now be worth $196,000. The EAV increased 9.5% in 2023, 9% in 2024 and 9.6% in tax year 2025.

“I get a lot of questions on, ‘What does that mean for an individual homeowner?’“ McCarty said. “... The value of that house has grown over $46,000. The county’s total over that four-year period on the tax bill ... is just under [a] $22 total increase. So, with all the tax limitations and everything in the cap that you’re under, it’s kind of a misnomer when you get your EAV, get your notification in that it’s going to grow by that amount.”

McCarty added that the county’s portion of a homeowner’s tax bill is just $9.95 more than the previous year ($543.07 in 2024 to $553.02 in 2025). In addition, the county’s portion of taxes over the four years increased $21.98.

“I just wanted to break it down a little bit for everyone,” McCarty told the board.

The EAV of one’s property is the product of the assessed value of the property (both land and improvements) and the state equalization factor, which is set by the Illinois Department of Revenue.

The biggest increase within the levy from the previous year is the corporate fund, and it increased 5.8% from $9.1 million to $9.63 million. Liability insurance increased 5.6% from $4.01 million to $4.24 million.

The Social Security fund decreased 5.3% from $2.59 million to $2.45 million, while the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund decreased 4.5% from $3.82 million to $3.65 million.

County Board Chairman Matthew Alexander-Hildebrand said the levy increase is minimal.

“I was very happy with it,” he said, adding that the $10 increase in county tax from the previous year is “pretty good, comparatively speaking.”