Illinois House Republican lawmakers unveiled their legislative bill package to deliver property tax relief to residents across the state. Assistant Minority Leader Dan Ugaste (Geneva) and State Representatives Joe Sosnowski (Rockford) and Tom Weber (Fox Lake) discussed the impact that high property taxes have had on Illinois, and the Democratic majority’s inaction and refusal to provide relief.
Illinois has some of the highest property taxes in the country and has seen residents fleeing to states with friendlier tax environments. House Republican lawmakers are fighting to stop the reckless neglect of taxpayers and bring down property taxes, including the following measures:
- HB 0009 – Ugaste- Property Tax Relief
- HB 1321- Ugaste- Tax District Surplus
- HB 1746- Sosnowski- Homestead Exemption
- HB 2543- Sosnowski- Taxpayer Empowerment
- HB 3723- Sosnowski- Senior Exemption
- HB 3724- Sosnowski- General Homestead
- HB 4010- Weber- Property Tax Extensions
- HB 4011- Weber- Assessment Limit
Representative Dan Ugaste has been a vocal advocate for property tax relief, especially as a means to deliver organic growth in local communities.
“High property taxes are crushing Illinois families,” stated Rep. Ugaste. “The situation is not getting any better, and the latest studies show we pay the second-highest property taxes in the nation. House Republicans have introduced a number of bills and have solutions that can provide property tax relief, and it’s time for those proposals to be considered.”
A few weeks ago, Governor JB Pritzker released his annual budget proposal, which spends $2 billion more than the previous fiscal year and lacks any meaningful reform to help seniors, families, and business from the crushing weight of property taxes.
Representative Weber noted that the current budget proposal shows just how out-of-touch the Democratic majority is with the everyday Illinoisan and pointed to the totally ineffective 2019 Property Tax Relief Tax Force as proof.
“Years of reckless spending and unbalanced budgets have led the majority party to endlessly drive up property taxes with no end in sight, and many Illinoisans simply cannot afford them,” said Rep. Weber. “Our caucus is committed to alleviating this strain by improving existing exemptions, capping year-over-year tax increases, and returning surplus revenue back to taxpayers in our state. By reducing the property tax burden placed on folks here in Illinois, we will create an environment where working families can not only get by, but thrive.”
Representative Joe Sosnowski’s legislation intends to help hard-pressed Illinois homeowners and families, particularly seniors on fixed incomes.
“Working families and homeowners need property tax relief, particularly seniors on fixed incomes,” said Rep. Sosnowski. “We have filed legislation to deliver relief and help reverse the outmigration of people leaving Illinois because of the increasing tax burden. If we compare ourselves to other states in the Midwest, if Illinois grew at the same rate as Indiana, Wisconsin, and Missouri we would have over a million more residents living in our state just over the last 10 years. When we lose people, it erodes the local tax base that supports schools and other vital services that families rely on. Property tax relief would have a direct positive impact on bringing people, jobs, and opportunity back to Illinois.”
The legislative package to provide property tax relief to Illinoisans will continue to proceed through the Illinois House, and progress on the bills can be tracked on ilga.gov.
Click the PLAY button to watch the video of Rep. Sosnowski’s remarks on the need for property tax relief.