Property taxpayers in St. Clair County have seen home values swamped by property taxes over the past 20 years.

While a few payouts were the result of severe injuries, local taxpayers were also on the hook for settlements with workers who returned to work the very next day.

Illinois has more units of local government than any other state in the country, many of which are duplicative and overlapping. In Belleville, where the majority of the city’s school districts cover fewer students than the state average, consolidation efforts could boost efficiency while saving taxpayer dollars.

Many school district employees’ earnings are more than double that of the typical Belleville household.

Residents of St. Clair and Madison Counties will soon see some of the nation’s most punishing property tax bills.