Sherry Arnold

“I first came here in 1989. I moved for four years out to North Carolina and then came back. I was excited about moving back because my grandbaby was being born.

“I thought I’d just retire here. Then all the taxes came.

“We’re going to move out by the spring.

“My land taxes doubled from last year. I will probably appeal just because I don’t want those high taxes when I go to sell. I’ve watched taxes go up, prices go down. Prices are going to keep going down. Nobody wants to live here with the high taxes.

“We’re trying to keep up with the pensions. They’re out of control. So they keep raising taxes, but we’re not getting the benefits.

“I’ll be retiring soon and I don’t want to pay that much in property taxes. It’s about a $2,000 savings per year [in property taxes] moving to Missouri.

“I need something affordable, something I can afford when I retire. I don’t want to be stuck in something where the taxes are going to keep rising.

“The community in Collinsville is nice. It’s not the community I’m trying to leave. It’s the state as a whole.

“I don’t think at this point Illinois has anything to offer anymore.”

Sherry Arnold
Collinsville, Illinois