BLOOMINGTON -- McLean County will spend $500,000 less in its next fiscal year budget, but property owners shouldn’t count on seeing savings on their tax bills.

Lynn Barnhill of Heyworth asked the McLean County Board on Tuesday not to raise taxes. She spoke during a truth-in-taxation hearing prior to the board’s vote on the property tax levies, which is the total amount of money the county will seek to collect in property taxes.

“I’m a recent widow and I am just about taxed out of my house,” said Barnhill, who added that she recently retired and is on a fixed income. “Everyone else in my neighborhood is retired; we can’t afford any more taxes.”

The County Board held a truth-in-taxation hearing because the tax levy for the county’s main operating fund and pensions increased by 5.84 percent, to $27.3 million. An increase of 5 percent or more in a levy automatically triggers such a hearing.

When the levies for the various funds are added together, the total increase is 4.12 percent, from $30.7 million in 2009 to $31.9 million for taxes payable in 2010.

The county’s tax rate is expected to dip a fraction of a cent to $0.894 per $100 equalized assessed valuation in 2010, which would shave about $1.40 off this year’s $493 tax bill on a $165,000 house.

Even if the tax rate remains unchanged, the tax bill will increase if the property’s taxable value has increased.

McLean County Assessor Robert Kahman said property values continue to increase in McLean County despite the poor economy.

“The market is still very solid in this county,” Kahman said. “We haven’t lost a tremendous amount in value.”

The County Board also approved its $75.4 million operating budget for the fiscal year that begins Jan. 1. The amount is $529,349 less than the current year’s budget.

McLean County Board Chairman Matt Sorensen said the county has tried to cut where it could in an effort to reduce its budget. Lindberg said 13 job cuts helped reduce the county’s spending.

Several board members, including Paul Segobiano, said they were concerned that the county budget is being strained by meeting state requirements while waiting for money from the state.

Over the summer the county waited on payments from the state that included $400,000 for the health department, $400,000 for its share of state income tax revenue and $170,000 from the wireless telephone surcharge.

A recent check for $500,000 from the state has helped, but the state is still behind.