How the April 1 elections can help fix Illinois’ property taxes

More than 600,000 Illinoisans will have a chance to send a message to state leaders on the most daunting issues, including Illinois’ property taxes.

Illinois’ April 1 elections are a chance for more than 600,000 Illinoisans to help fix the state’s biggest issues such as pensions, gerrymandering and unfunded mandates.

Addison, Leyden, Lemont, Homer, Palos, Palatine, Wheeling and Winfield townships are giving voters the opportunity to weigh in on the state’s biggest issues.

Voters in those townships will see at least one of three questions on their April 1 ballots:

Pensions: “Should the state of Illinois enact constitutional pension reform to protect workers’ existing retirements and generate savings which could provide property tax relief or be reinvested in the community?”

Unfunded mandates: “Should the state of Illinois be allowed to force unfunded mandates on local governments who may raise property taxes to cover the costs of those mandates?”

These mandates happen when the state hands down requirements for local governments without added funding, forcing local government to raise costs through more taxes or cut services for residents.

Gerrymandering: “Should the state of Illinois create an independent citizens commission to draw fair and competitive federal and state redistricting maps, rather than allowing lawmakers to decide?”

These questions won’t directly change state law but will send a signal to lawmakers that if more than half a million people in and around their district care about these issues, it should be a top priority in Springfield. Click here to check out your voter registration status.