Lake County leaders are trying to recover more than $2 million that was mistakenly paid out from tax-defaulted property sales. Officials say the money was distributed over several years to cities, fire districts, and other agencies because of accounting issues tied to land sales. State law requires the county to recover the funds, even though some local governments say the clawback could strain their budgets. County staff are proposing a repayment plan that would begin in the 2026–27 tax year.