Title
Ordinance abating the tax heretofore levied for General County Purposes for the Tax Year 2025 and Collected in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 to authorize a property tax abatement in support of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Energy Transition Community Grant Program in the amount of $587,516.86.
Staff Summary
• Lake County is one of several local government units (referred to as “Zion taxing Bodies” who are impacted by the closure of the Zion nuclear plant) that can take advantage of funding set aside by the Illinois General Assembly through the Energy Transition Community Grant Program.
• The grant is for an overall abatement to the full tax levy, benefiting all property taxpayers in the County, not limited to parcels in the City of Zion.
• The County is abating the full amount of its grant allocation of $587,516.86, which will reduce the tax amount owed by each taxpayer for Tax Year 2025 only (collected in FY 2026).
Body
AN ORDINANCE ABATING THE TAX HERETOFORE LEVIED FOR THE TAX YEAR 2025 AND COLLECTED IN FISCAL YEAR (FY) 2026 TO AUTHORIZE A PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ENERGY TRANSITION COMMUNITY GRANT PROGRAM
WHEREAS, the Illinois General Assembly passed and signed into law Illinois Public Act 102-0662, creating the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act on September 15, 2021, establishing the Energy Transition Community Grant (“ETCG”) program; and
WHEREAS, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (“DCEO”) is administering the ETCG grant program pursuant to the directive of the Illinois General Assembly, which requires local taxing bodies within Lake County to provide a tax abatement equal to at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the awarded grant funds; and
WHEREAS, Lake County (the “County”) is a unit of local government and a taxing body impacted by the closure of the Zion Nuclear plant and therefore authorized under 35 ILCS 200/18-165 to abate a portion of property taxes levied by the taxing body eligible for the ETCG program providing funding for tax abatement in the amount of $587,516.86; and
WHEREAS, the County Administrator has applied for a grant under the DCEO in the form of a property tax abatement in the full amount of $587,516.86, which has been allocated to Lake County; and
WHEREAS, the DCEO ETCG grant funds will be applied to the General Fund and therefore, the levy amount levied by Lake County for GENERAL COUNTY PURPOSES for the tax year 2025 and collected in FY 2026 will be reduced by the amount of $587,516.86; and
WHEREAS, it is in the best interests of the County to support economic development and investment within Lake County and that the tax heretofore levied for the tax year 2025 and collected in FY 2026 for GENERAL COUNTY PURPOSES be reduced by the amount of $587,516.86.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED, by this County Board of Lake County, Illinois as follows:
1. Abatement of Tax. The tax heretofore levied of $97,520,681 for GENERAL COUNTY PURPOSES for the tax year 2025 to be collected in FY 2026 is hereby reduced by the amount of $587,516.86 so that the resulting tax to be levied for the tax year 2025 and collected in FY 2026 will be $96,933,164.14.
2. Duration and Effective Date. The abatement shall apply to all parcels in the GENERAL COUNTY PURPOSES levy.
3. Filing of Ordinance. Forthwith upon the adoption of this ordinance, the County Clerk of the Board shall file a certified copy hereof with his offices as County Clerk of Lake County, Illinois, and it shall be the duty of said County Clerk to reduce said tax levied for the tax year 2025 and collected in FY 2026 in accordance with the provisions hereof.
4. Severability. If any section or provision of this Ordinance is declared invalid, the remainder shall not be affected and shall remain in full force and effect.
5. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect forthwith upon its adoption.
DATED at Waukegan, Illinois, on March 10, 2026.