Larry Smith

A former Aldi in Woodstock will become the McHenry County Elections Center, with plans to move in before the general election in November.

The $247 million McHenry County budget was approved along with a levy that will raise property taxes slightly for homeowners and businesses.

Half of the McHenry County Board is new, with seven incumbents losing their seats in November. Eight of the previous board’s members opted against running for their seat this year.

With the polls now closed in Illinois, the count can begin to see which candidates will take the 18 open seats on the McHenry County Board.

The race for Illinois governor won’t be the only one on Tuesday’s ballot. With the redrawing of the state’s political maps, the make-up of the entire McHenry County Board and both the U.S. and Illinois houses of representatives will be determined, along several other races.

Three McHenry County Board candidates running in District 8 – Democrat Jack Kaskel and incumbent Republicans Larry Smith and Tracie Von Bergen – weighed in on how the county should handle more than $1.2 million in new costs created by recent legislation.

An affordable housing project in McHenry has been helped along by McHenry County to the tune of almost $2 million, but will still need other funding and final approval from City Council before construction begins.

McHenry County Board members are considering establishing a new committee specifically to oversee Valley Hi Nursing Home in a move that would give the County Board more direct oversight of the county-run facility.