Lake County commissioners voted 3-1 to place a one-mill property tax increase on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot to support teacher salaries, school safety and mental health services. If approved by voters, the tax would take effect July 1, 2027 and remain in place for four years.

Commissioner Anthony Sabatini cast the lone dissenting vote, raising concerns about the legal interpretation used by the school district to request the referendum be placed on the ballot.

“The appeals court has upheld it,” Sabatini says. “We should challenge it again.”

Commissioner Tim Morris was not physically present in the boardroom but participated in the meeting remotely.

Other commissioners emphasized that the decision was not an endorsement of the tax, but rather a step to allow voters to decide.

“We were not endorsing it,” Commissioner Leslie Campione says. “We were doing what we were required by law.”

Lake County voters previously approved a 0.75-mill school tax in 2018, which took effect in 2019 and was renewed in 2022. The proposed one-mill increase would replace that measure if approved.

The tax would cost property owners approximately $1 for every $1,000 of taxable value. For example, a home with a taxable value of $200,000 would see an annual increase of about $200.

District officials say the school system is currently operating within its budget and does not anticipate major layoffs or school closures.

Similar voter-approved tax measures have been used in other districts, including Orange County Public Schools, to help fund expenses such as salaries and extracurricular programs not fully covered by state funding.