Sales Tax Hike for Education

Some variation of a sales tax for schools is being pitched in Champaign County.

Only the DuPage County Republican-imposed tripling of the RTA sales tax rate and Mayor Aaron Shepley’s 75% Crystal Lake city sales tax hike has probably suppressed similar cries in McHenry County.

Illini Pundit reports that the Urbana School Board supports a sales tax hike:

“With its vote, 11 school districts in the county have now passed such a resolution. Those districts represent almost half of the county’s school enrollment, said Jane Quinlan, superintendent of the regional office of education. State law provides that districts representing at least 51 percent of the county’s school enrollment can place a tax question on the ballot by approving a resolution such as Urbana did,”

according to what used to be called the Champaign News-Gazette.

Mahomet has had a hearing.

Urbana
is on board.

Add in the Unit 7 School Board.

Rantoul
supports the referendum, too.

Same with Savoy.

Tolondo liked the idea.

“It’s a win-win for everybody,” (Michael) Shonk said. “I think it’s a good thing,” according to the News-Gazette.

Here’s part of my January analysis of the proposal:

Who will be the winners and the losers?

My first take is that those areas that are built out will be the losers. They will tend to have paid for their schools.

The winners, if I am correct, will be the fast growth areas, the villages that lust for growth.

I see one intended consequence and one unintended consequence.

Once a flow of money starts and one school district sells bonds based on these sales tax receipts, the tax seems destined to stay forever.

The unintended consequence is that tax money will flow forever (so to speak) and the local school boards will find a way to spend, whether such expenditures are necessary or not.


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