Peoria Standard

Illinois' property tax rate is the second highest in the nation at  2.27%, behind only New Jersey, according to a June report by Rocket Mortgage.

The owner of a $194,500 home in Illinois will pay $4,942 annually in property taxes, the report said. Thirty states have property tax rates lower than 1%.

"Property taxes in Illinois are excessive and unnecessarily high," said Benn Watt, candidate for Illinois House, District 92. "Many Illinoisans could move to a similarly valued home in Indiana and feel like they got a raise of several thousand dollars because of Indiana's statewide 1% property tax cap. Even renters who may think property taxes don't concern them should realize they are paying hundreds of dollars more in rent because property owners in Illinois pass on the high property taxes in the rental price."

Illinois has 9,000 units of government with the authority to tax, Watt said.

"That's more than California or New York!" he said. "Forty-six percent of our school districts have just one or two schools but pay a superintendent and principal to basically do the same job. Our pension liability is 20% of GDP, more than double most states."

Taxes could be lowered in Illinois with "a little creative thinking in school districts," said Watt.

"Reducing the number of units of governments, and a bi-partisan, hold-harmless pension plan could dramatically decrease the overwhelming burden of property taxes," he said. "It shouldn't feel like you have a mortgage after your house is paid off, but in Illinois it does! No wonder my friends with a paid off mortgage moved to Georgia, even before they found a new job!"

Watt is also critical of the way Gov. J.B. Pritzker managed federal COVID relief funds and Paycheck Protection Program loans.

"As is characteristic of many Democrat policies, I would say the governor exasperated a crisis and used COVID relief funds to attempt to make himself look better to his supporters and potential supporters," Watt said. "There was no reason for a high school kid making minimum wage at a restaurant to suddenly get a $600/week in unemployment benefits, but it happened. Unfortunately, my representatives Jehan Gordon-Booth and Dave Koehler did nothing to stop 'King Pritzker' from declaring an emergency over and over again so he could have perpetual unchecked power."

Pritzker "abused his power and single-handedly shut down small businesses and schools and churches," Watt added. "My friend, who owns a local barbershop, told me he lost $30,000 in revenue because the governor was allowed to decide who mattered and who didn't during the COVID crisis. After losing that revenue and being refused the right to provide for his family, he received only $6k in COVID relief funds. Completely unjust and total mismanagement!"

Watt called the temporary delay of the state gasoline tax "an election season gimmick," with a short-term benefit.

"If it was about relief, the governor wouldn't be requiring gas station owners to post his propaganda on their fuel pumps," said Watt. "If it was about relief and informing voters, the required signs would state something like this - 'Fasten your seatbelts. After the election, Governor Pritzker and the Democrats will automatically hike gas taxes twice in 2023!"

Other tax relief measures will also have negligible results, said Watt.

"Our grocery tax was only 1%," he said. "People barely even notice it's gone. If the governor and our representatives really cared about providing relief, they wouldn't have forced our clean energy plants to shut down, our job-creating businesses to run to friendlier states, and they would have addressed our pension crisis that continues to eat up 20% of our GDP. If they really care, why not offer real solutions like a property tax cap or creating a more business-friendly environment in Illinois?"