Video Helps Explain Property Assessment Notice and Property Tax Bill  
As property owners receive their property tax bill, there may be questions about your bill. The Lake County Treasurer’s Office has developed this video to help you understand your property tax bill. The video also delves into explaining your blue property assessment notice. 

Tick exposure can occur year-round, but ticks are most active during warmer months, typically from April to September. Ticks live in grassy or wooded areas and can carry diseases, such as Lyme disease, which are harmful to humans and animals when bitten.  

It is important to know how to prevent, check for, and remove ticks on yourself, your family, and pets. Learn more about how to protect yourself and loved ones from ticks at fightthebitenow.com. 

The Lake County Board approved a new policy that will keep birds at the top of mind on all newly constructed and renovated Lake County government-owned facilities. The primary aim of the policy is to mitigate hazards for birds posed by the building environment, particularly from collisions with glass surfaces. 

The policy, which went into effect May 14, requires newly constructed Lake County government-owned facilities to use at least 80 percent bird-friendly glass on their exteriors from ground level to 100 feet high. If Lake County renovates or adds on to one of its facilities, then 80 percent of the glass and reflective materials utilized in the project must be bird-friendly as well. Learn more about the new policy 

Cicadas can be beneficial to your grass and gardens. When cicadas emerge from the ground as nymphs, or babies, they molt and leave behind their exoskeletons. The discarded exoskeletons, along with their bodies after they die, decompose and contribute nutrients to the soil, enriching it and promoting healthy plant growth.  

In addition, cicadas dig tunnels underground as nymphs, which can help aerate the soil when they emerge. This process improves soil structure, allowing better water and nutrient penetration, essential for grass and garden plants to thrive. Female cicadas lay their eggs in tree branches, which can lead to the weakening and eventual pruning of these branches. This pruning can allow more sunlight to reach the grass and plants below, promoting their growth. Read more » 

Imagine calming breezes, breathtaking sunsets over the lake and award-winning music performers on stage at the outdoor venue for the annual Concerts in the Plaza music series. Nine concerts will be held at Independence Grove Forest Preserve in Libertyville, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays, June 11 through Aug. 6. The performances take place at the preserve's outdoor Millennia Plaza overlooking a 129-acre lake. 

From Beatles tributes to the blues, from rock and country to reggae, there’s something for just about any music taste in this season's entertainment schedule. View full band descriptions and the 2024 concert lineup. This year's concerts are supported by North Shore Gas (platinum sponsor), Libertyville Bank and Trust (bronze sponsor) and Lake County Journal (media sponsor). View full entertainment lineup and band descriptions. Discover more » 

Lakewood Forest Preserve in Wauconda, the county’s largest forest preserve spanning 2,835 acres, is undergoing a transformation that includes a new 1.6-mile paved loop trail, a floating fishing pier, overlooks, new and reconstructed interior roads, a Children’s Nature Play area and more.  

A segment of the regional Millennium Trail, which connects the underpass tunnels at Route 176 and Fairfield Road and passes between Banana and Taylor lakes, will be paved to form part of a new loop. “Reconstruction will occur on portions of the trail, but it will remain open as much as possible with a grass detour in place when necessary,” Planning Director Kevin Kleinjan told the Forest Preserves’ planning and operations committees earlier this month. Portions of the forest preserve will be closed throughout construction, with anticipated completion during the summer in 2025. Learn more » 

The Federal Communications Commission is actively winding down the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which has provided free or low-cost internet services to eligible low-income residents through a monthly subsidy.   

Learn more about the ACP, including resources that are available after the program ends. 

As the ACP ends, Lake County continues its work to understand the current state of high-speed internet service and address solutions for improvement countywide through our Digital Growth Initiative. 

Did you know the Lake County Clerk’s office is responsible for all official ballots in Lake County? We’ve created a three-part video series to learn about the entire process of voting by mail. Learn about the behind-the-scenes process of requesting and creating your vote by mail ballot before it arrives in your mailbox with our latest Did You Know video.  

Find further details about voting by mail  

The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Lake County Children’s Advocacy Center are excited to announce the newest member of the team, Duo Dog, Linden. Linden will primarily serve as comfort and support to children during the investigative process.    

Linden has been partnered with his handler, Carrie Wings, the LCCAC’s Education and Outreach Specialist. As a comfort dog, Linden will accompany children throughout the forensic interview process.  Learn more about Linden