County Assessment On The Rise

    Lake County residents could expect upwards of $200 in fire and life support-related tax increases in the coming year, after the Lake County Commission on Tuesday approved its 2025 Fire Assessment Study. The commission won't formally vote on the matter until July, but the assessment calls for a funding model that carries substantial increases despite a drop in certain rates.
   The county funds its fire and ambulance services through special fees that appear on resident tax bills, and this year has changed how it will apply the burden.
   The net result is an increase.
   Lake County Manager Jennifer Barker estimated the increase to be around $190 for homes assessed at $150,000. Elsewhere, vacant land will rise from $68 to $143 under the proposal, and commercial space - at $15,000 square feet in size - will rise from just over $3,000 to $5,400. Industrial/warehouse space, also at 15,000 square feet, would rise from $409 to $4,060, an 893% increase.