With only early and mail-in ballots counted, preliminary numbers show approval support for the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County’s referendum to bump taxes so it can expand and maintain land.
As of just before 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, 178,925 votes had been cast in favor of passing the referendum and 103,482 votes were cast against the measure.
The first wave of unofficial results released after polls closed consisted only of those from early voting and mail-in ballots. No votes cast Election Day have been included yet.
The forest preserve district’s referendum seeks a tax increase to bolster its funding. If approved, the measure would allow the district to extend a 0.0350% higher 2024 property tax levy than would be allowed under state tax caps. For property owners, the hike would translate to an additional $11.67 on their tax bills per $100,000 of home value, district officials said.
As a result, the district would receive about $17 million more in annual revenue, according to district estimates.
The additional funding will allow for the purchase of more land in coming years.
District officials have identified 250 acres of land across the county that they would like to purchase over the next decade with the additional funds. Purchasing those acres is a priority because the district wants to preserve as much remaining open space in the county as possible before it is developed.
The district also intends to use the additional funding to complete several projects laid out in its 2019 Master Plan as well as to help maintain its current level of programming and services, officials have said.
As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, almost 65% of all registered voters had cast their ballots, including the turnout from Election Day voters by mid-afternoon, in-person early voters and processed vote-by-mail ballots, according to a news release from the DuPage County Clerk’s Office.
In the 2020 presidential election, 491,067 of 641,503 then-registered voters in DuPage County cast ballots, a 76.5% turnout.
Election results will be updated through the night Tuesday as votes are tabulated.
Check back at napersun.com for updates.