Property taxes in Illinois are way too high. For decades, Springfield politicians have spoken about the need for property tax relief plenty, but have accomplished very little.
The General Assembly has commissioned 5 property tax task forces in the last 40 years - 1982, 1996, 1998, 2009, and 2019 - but the high property tax problem has only become worse and worse. Illinois property taxes have grown 6 times faster than household income since 2008.
We now have the 2nd highest property taxes in the nation behind New Jersey. Illinois’ average property tax burden is 2.27% of home value, which is double the national average.
An August 2021 poll commissioned by Americans for Prosperity - Illinois showed 77% of Illinoisans support allowing citizens to vote to lower their property taxes up to 10%, vs. only 11% who oppose.
Illinois’ property taxes are too high and residents need to be empowered to reduce property taxes directly through citizen-initiated referendums.
HB 4870, introduced by Rep. Joe Sosnowski, would allow Illinoisans to submit a ballot question to freeze or reduce a property tax levy of a local government from anywhere between 0 and 10 percent once every two years.
While it’s relatively easy for a local government to put a tax hike referendum on the ballot it’s next to impossible for citizens to reverse a tax hike once it is put into effect.
Democracy needs to work both ways when it comes to Illinois' sky-high property taxes. It’s time to empower Illinois residents to reduce property taxes through a petition and referendum process.
Please support and co-sponsor HB 4870 - the Taxpayer Empowerment Act.