The budget plan proposed by Republican General Assembly members would raise taxes by over $5 billion without enacting any significant spending reforms.

Lawmakers need to enact comprehensive property tax reform to provide relief for overburdened state taxpayers.

Local spending drivers need to be reformed to truly relieve taxpayers of Illinois’ highest-in-the-nation property taxes.

The Lakewood Village Board’s decision to end a 2015 TIF district is a win for local taxpayers.

As property tax bills land in mailboxes in Madison and St. Clair counties, TIF districts sap local tax dollars.

The village board of Lakewood, Illinois, will decide whether to keep a TIF district approved in 2015 in a vote scheduled for June 13.

One in six Illinois homeowners are seriously underwater.

Illinois needs a taxpayer bill of rights to urge policymakers to budget based on available revenue — or be prepared to subject tax increases to direct voter approval.

Property taxes are set to increase in Madison and St. Clair counties, and local taxpayers should know that through TIF districts, politicians divert tax dollars that could go toward schools, libraries and public services to separate accounts that foster a lack of transparency and accountability.