Two advisory ballot initiatives will ask Madison County voters about automatic raises for lawmakers and public worker double dipping.
Illinois politicians do not have a great track record when it comes to keeping promises to taxpayers.
Property taxes are on the ballot in Madison, Winnebago and Champaign counties.
Members of Pritzker’s administration, advisors and lawmakers have suggested a progressive income tax should tax retirement income in Illinois.
When Illinois state lawmakers wrote the mail-in voting law, they decided voters who did not seek a mail-in ballot should receive a letter from the state, and then another.
Cook County property taxes have grown at triple the rate of the cost of living. The “fair tax” backers promise it will bring property tax relief, but the evidence refutes their claim.
The progressive income tax amendment would carry a hidden cost of $1,800 a year in lost home value for 3.2 million homeowners if Illinois sees the same impact as Connecticut.
Increased property and sales taxes will likely offset all savings from progressive income tax scheme.
Every state without an income tax has lower property taxes than Illinois. The progressive tax amendment includes no property tax reforms, so there’s no guarantee property taxes won’t rise as income taxes rise.
“The amendment just eliminates the requirement for a flat tax. The tax brackets and everything they’re talking about, or what the money would be spent on – none of that is guaranteed by the amendment.”
The credit rating agency also said Illinois will soon pass the point of no return on public pension debt. It warned against schemes to stretch or delay pension payments.
A typical Chicago homeowner faces up to $255 in potential property tax increases to cover city and school deficits. City income taxes could be next, if the ‘fair tax’ were to pass.
Multiple members of the governor’s inner circle have publicly backed retirement taxes, even though Pritzker now denies he will use his “fair tax” on the state’s seniors.
“Small businesses are hurt. A lot of people can't find jobs. Raising [taxes] is unwise with what's happened with the economy.”