From State Rep. Tom Weber:
PROPERTY TAX RELIEF PRESS CONFERENCE
Last week, I joined my colleagues Assistant Minority Leader Dan Ugaste and State Representative Joe Sosnowski to unveil our new legislative bill package to deliver property tax relief to residents across the state.
We 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. I am fighting to stop the reckless neglect of taxpayers and bring down property taxes through two new pieces of legislation. House Bill 4010 prevents taxing districts, other than home rule units, from levying taxes on parcels of real property more than 105% of the base amount unless conditions are met, and House Bill 4011 limits assessment increases to 3% or CPI, whichever is less.
My colleagues have also filed a number of bills to address this growing problem, 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
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 businesses from the crushing weight of property taxes.
The current budget shows just how out-of-touch the Democratic majority is with the everyday Illinoisan, and the totally ineffective 2019 Property Tax Relief Task Force is proof of just that.
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.
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.
