Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner

It’s been the go-to tax in Illinois for decades. Property tax bills have been rising far faster than incomes for at least three decades, as we recently testified to a House Revenue and Finance Committee, and that’s left Illinoisans trapped paying the highest property tax rates in the nation. Those high taxes are a big contributor to Illinois’ continuing dysfunction, and yet politicians do nothing about it.

For a long time, the pain was felt more outside Chicago than in the city. Mayor Richard M. Daley knew to avoid the hated property tax, so he favored all kinds of other taxes and fees – a nickel and dime approach – to fund the city. But beginning with Mayor Rahm Emanuel, property taxes in the last decade have grown a whopping 3.5 times more than inflation. And that’s got Chicagoans livid and most aldermen finally pushing back.

Property taxes raised by the city proper, now totaling nearly $1.8 billion, are up 105% from 2014 to 2024. Chicago Public Schools has raised property taxes for itself by 74% in the decade. They totaled more than 3.7 billion in 2024.

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follow-up:

The median value of a home in Chicago has only grown 30% since 2010 – the lowest by far among the nation’s 15 biggest cities according to U.S. Census data (2010 is the earliest year available from the Census ACS). That’s not even enough to keep up with inflation, which was up 40% over the same period.

more.

and:

When you receive your property tax bill this month, please remember it was Governor Evers who used his line item veto to create a 400 year guaranteed property tax increase.

The @WIAssemblyGOP understands that inflation and rising prices are hurting families. We pledge to return the surplus to your family. We will not use it to grow the size of government or create new welfare programs. #returnthesurplus