Illinois Issues: The Real Chilling Effect Of A Property Tax Freeze

Image courtesy of Advantax.

There are serious consequences under Gov, Bruce Rauner’s tax proposal.

Commentary: At first blush, Gov. Bruce Rauner’s property tax freeze seems like a great idea. What homeowner wouldn’t want to know the next tax bill will never, ever be larger than the last one? Property taxes on my home last year went up $52.56, a 1.7 percent increase over my 2015 tax bill.  If a freeze had been in place, I could have saved those dollars, or spent them on something else.  What’s not to like about that? Indeed, Illinoisans for decades have told pollsters that the property tax is the most hated of all taxes, largely because it’s based neither on ability to pay nor on consumption. So let’s slap a permanent lid on the dastardly levy!

But like most things in government, freezing property taxes is not as simple as it sounds…Please click here to read or hear Reporter Rachel Otwell interview with columnist Charlie Wheeler. A related story is here.