Illinois GOP introduce bills to reduce property taxes and address migration issues

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — Illinois Republican legislators have proposed a set of bills to lower property taxes.

Currently, Illinois has the second-highest property tax rate in the nation, with an average of more than $6,000 a year.

Rep. Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva) said Thursday that 420,000 people have moved out of Illinois since 2020.

A majority of property taxes are levied at the county level, with a large portion going to school districts.

Ugaste introduced House Bill 9, which would take 25% of the state budget, around $13 billion, and use 20% to pay off state pensions and send the remaining 5% to school districts, with a mandate that they lower property taxes.

“Let’s say Illinois is a building, the fifth largest in the state and it’s on fire,” Ugaste said. [Lawmakers] are the firefighters. However, Democrats are the ones with the keys to the firehouse and they won’t let us in so we can use the equipment we have inside to put out the fire.”

“It is a five-alarm fire right now, because look at other states growing,” said Rep. Joe Sosnowski (R-Rockford). “We lose congressional seats, other states are growing dramatically. States around us, same weather, grow 1% a year, so it’s a huge problem right now and we’re chasing more and more people out of Illinois if we don’t address it immediately.”

Rep. Tom Weber (R-Lake Villa) introduced House Bill 4010, which would cap an individual’s yearly property tax at 5%, and House Bill 4011, which would cap property tax assessment increases at 3%.

All of the bills would require bipartisan support to become law, but House Republicans say Democrats, who hold a supermajority in both chambers, won’t let them in on the conversation.

Democrats announced a working group to discuss property tax relief, but Republicans are not included in the partisan group.

“I’m eager to join this working group and to hear from a wide range of stakeholders and policy experts so we can craft smart new approaches to cutting property taxes,” said state Rep. Nabeela Syed (D-Palatine). “I’m confident that my colleagues are as committed as I am to relieving that strain and allowing people to put their money towards creating better lives and helping their communities flourish.”