Illinois State Police are facing audits showing $2.3 million is missing as lawmakers seek answers about old computers and late firearms IDs. Also, lawsuits and an indictment outline theft and sex harassment claims at the agency managing troopers.
Six months after state lawmakers hastily approved Illinois’ 2022 budget, a hidden discretionary fund has been identified giving Gov. J.B. Pritzker total control over $2 billion in federal COVID-19 aid.
Property taxes are the real thieves attacking the house used in the holiday movie ‘Home Alone.’ The house is available for a one-night stay this holiday, but not all taxes are included.
Kiplinger report finds Illinois’ sales, income and property taxes on middle-income families rank among the highest in the nation, making prospective residents think twice about moving to the state.
Taxpayers pay too much for the rough conditions they find on Illinois roads, according to a report by the Reason Foundation. Bad pavement and too much congestion come with upkeep costs that are among the highest in the U.S.
AAA’s Thanksgiving travel forecast predicts national driving rates will rebound to near pre-pandemic levels this holiday. For Illinoisans visiting family in the coming weeks, that trip will be cheaper if they can fill up out of state.
In 2017, Chicagoans paid $40 million in taxes on cloud computing and streaming services. It was $150 million this past fiscal year.
Sales tax revenue is up from pre-pandemic levels, in part because Illinois is now forcing online retailers to charge local sales tax rates as high as 10.25%. No tax breaks this Cyber Monday.
While phasing in the tax impact of sharp increases in assessed value could help Cook County’s commercial property owners adjust, holding down property taxes requires reducing spending through public pension reform in Illinois.
Chicago will spend $32 million on the nation’s largest test of universal basic income. What happens after that year is one question, as is whether handing out cash will truly fix anything.
Chicago is getting closer to getting a casino, but more ways and places to gamble do not necessarily mean more state revenue. Illinois would be better off betting on pension reform.
Taxes are different on different types of candy in Illinois, with some brands taxed six times more than others. Just because you can eat it, doesn’t mean Illinois’ tax policy sees it as food.
Redirecting some of Illinois’ school district administrative overhead could attract top talent to the more than 4,100 teacher openings. The savings could be $1,317 per taxpayer in one veteran teacher’s hometown. Reform pensions, and that amount grows.
“I have good relationships with my tenants, so I do everything I can to help them. My husband and I hoped to pass the building on to our son, yet these taxes put business and property owners in a tough spot.”