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

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

Both Madison and St. Clair County taxpayers paid a higher effective tax rate than the national average in 2017, a year which also saw continued outmigration from the region.

Though some politicians claim a progressive income tax would only affect the rich, rates established under House Bill 3522 would raise income taxes on middle-class families.

Madison County voters have twice turned down a proposed sales-tax hike to fund school facilities projects, but the proposal will appear again on March primary ballots. If approved, shoppers in Collinsville and Granite City would see some of the highest sales tax rates in the country.

Residents in Madison and St. Clair counties find themselves fleeced by lawmakers' failure to control state finances.

High property taxes in the Metro East region are fueling out-migration from the area.

Though the median household income in Belleville is only $43,318, Belleville Township School District 201’s top administrators are making six-figure salaries.