Calls for real property tax relief as part of budget negotiations
As Senate Democrats prepare to vote on a bill to permanently increase income taxes, Governor Bruce Rauner today announced in a video on his Facebook page that he will not sign off on any budget agreement that increases taxes without real property tax relief.
“The biggest issue that now stands in the way of us reaching an agreement is resistance to freezing your property taxes, and giving you the ability to control whether your property taxes go up or down in the future,” Governor Rauner said. “We will always stand on the side of taxpayers and homeowners and make sure we get an agreement that is fair to you.”
Property taxes have emerged as the biggest issue in negotiating a balanced budget.
Property taxes in Illinois are the highest in the country, and the Governor has long advocated for a freeze to provide homeowners relief. He believes if state lawmakers are going to ask for more in income taxes, then homeowners deserve relief from rising property taxes. In January, the House of Representatives passed a property tax freeze that granted local voters the ability to control increasing or decreasing their property taxes.
View the video here.
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