Enduring years of tax increases at the state and local level, Illinoisans have by now learned that they’re entitled to vote with their feet. However, depending on the success of a bill recently filed in the General Assembly, residents across the Land of Lincoln could be empowered to vote directly against tax hikes at the ballot box.
House Bill 4378, filed Jan. 30 by state Rep. John Cabello, R-Machesney Park, would put the fate of tax hikes in the hands of those who pay them. The bill amends the Illinois Municipal Code, prohibiting municipal taxing bodies from imposing on taxpayers “any tax increase or levy [or] any new or additional tax without prior referendum approval.”
The change would include both home-rule and non-home-rule municipalities, and would be effective immediately upon becoming law.
Sign the petition today to tell your lawmaker to require a referendum before local tax hikes.