Issue Position: Property Tax Relief
Issue Position
High property taxes are an issue for communities all over Illinois, and especially here in the Rockford area. High property taxes hinder growth, hurt home values, and make it difficult for people with low and fixed incomes to stay in their homes. We have to restructure our tax code. This is what I will do:
A Better Way to Fund Schools: The vast majority of the money gained from property taxes goes towards local schools. I want our schools to have as much money as possible, but it has to be done in a sustainable way. I want to continue the work that has been done down in Springfield to restructure how Illinois supports local school districts. It will be a long process, but the goal is that the state will be able to use its much larger tax base to support local school districts more effectively than we can right now with only local property taxes.
New Tax Plan: At the state and local level, we need to reorient how our taxes are levied. Property taxes are levied only on residents, whereas if the primary source of tax dollars was a sales tax, that would spread the burden out beyond residents to include anyone shopping in our community. I am not committed to that as a solution, but I think it should be on the table as we begin these tough discussions on how to reduce our tax burden while securing sustainable funding for local schools, the State of Illinois, etc.
Property Tax Relief: Finally, I want to work with local Township Assessors, Winnebago County, and the State of Illinois to create a Long Time Homeowner Property Tax Exemption. This would reward longtime Winnebago County residents for staying in and contributing to our community for an extended period of time.
In the meantime, I encourage 68th District residents to check if they qualify for any of the Property Tax Exemptions listed on the Winnebago County website. This is the web address: https://wincoil.us/departments/supervisor-of-assessments/exemption-forms-information/
These are especially helpful if you are a senior, veteran, or disabled person. You can also call the Winnebago County Supervisor of Assessments Office at 815-319-4460, or email them at soa@wincoil.us. Please be aware that their office might have different hours due to COVID.
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