Indiana is building far more single-family homes than Illinois

By Austin Berg

01/03/2020

The historic change comes as skyrocketing property tax bills eat into Illinois homeowners’ bottom line.

TAGS: constitutional amendment, home values, homeownership, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, Indiana, JB Pritzker, population, property taxes, Springfield, tax burden, tax hikes, tax increase, U.S. Census Bureau, working-age

Feds investigating former Cook County assessor, Madigan rainmaker Joe Berrios

By Austin Berg

12/17/2019

The probe potentially opens up a new front in authorities’ investigation of House Speaker Mike Madigan: the property tax appeals game from which he has made millions.

TAGS: capital project, Chicago, conflict of interest, Cook County, Cook County assessor, Cook County Democratic Party, corruption, Ed Burke, federal investigation, house rules, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, JB Pritzker, Joseph Berrios, Legislative Inspector General, legislative map, Madigan & Getzendanner, Mike Madigan, property taxes, redistricting, revolving door, Rod Blagojevich, Springfield

‘Home Alone’ with a $35K property tax bill

By Brad Weisenstein

12/17/2019

No longer are two guys in stocking caps attacking the Winnetka house made famous in the holiday movie, but property taxes and declining home values are still robbing the owners.

TAGS: Chicago, Cook County, home alone, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, JB Pritzker, property taxes, Springfield, Winnetka

A decade after recession, Illinois’ construction industry is ice cold

By Austin Berg

12/05/2019

Why is Illinois construction so weak? As it turns out, big government programs can’t paper over weak fundamentals.

TAGS: Bureau of Economic Analysis, construction, Erin Guthrie, gas tax, Great Recession, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, JB Pritzker, Luis Arroyo, Martin Sandoval, minimum wage, outmigration, Pat Quinn, progressive income tax, property taxes, Springfield, U.S. Census Bureau

Chicago’s 2020 budget proposal was never truly balanced

By Adam Schuster, Bill Reveille

11/26/2019

Faced with the impossible task of balancing Chicago’s budget without pension reform, Mayor Lori Lightfoot is forced to partially rely on phantom cuts and revenues.

TAGS: bonds, budget, CAFR: Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, Chicago, Chicago City Council, Chicago City Hall, constitutional amendment, CTA: Chicago Transit Authority, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, deficit, emergency fee, homelessness, housing market, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, interest rates, library, Lori Lightfoot, Lyft, property taxes, Rahm Emanuel, real estate, real estate transfer tax, tax hikes, tax increase, TIF: Tax Increment Financing, Uber

Lightfoot asks Springfield for progressive ‘exit tax’ on Chicago property sales

By Brad Weisenstein

11/10/2019

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot wants state lawmakers to let her impose progressively higher real estate transfer tax rates to close a $838 million budget deficit. She faces a limited time window and resistance from state lawmakers.

TAGS: Lori Lightfoot, outmigration, property taxes, taxes, transaction tax

California’s ‘fair tax’ hike spurred taxpayer exodus, hurt middle class and went mostly to pensions

By Orphe Divounguy

10/28/2019

New academic research on a progressive income tax hike in California should be a warning to Illinois voters deciding on Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s progressive income tax hike in November 2020.

TAGS: California, fair tax, graduated income tax, progressive income tax, property taxes, taxes

Kentucky billboards advertise Illinois’ woes to lure businesses

By Brad Weisenstein

10/25/2019

Kentucky’s economic developers are using billboards along Interstate 57 to bring businesses south by highlighting Illinois’ poor finances, high taxes and unwelcoming business climate.

TAGS: fair tax, graduated income tax, income tax, Kentucky, outmigration, progressive income tax, property taxes, small business, taxes

Lightfoot can’t fix Chicago’s finances without pension reform

By Adam Schuster

10/22/2019

City pension contributions are set to spike by $1 billion over just four years. Taxpayers cannot afford the entire burden of fixing city finances.

TAGS: Chicago, Lori Lightfoot, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, property taxes, taxes

Illinois’ housing recovery still trails rest of nation

By Orphe Divounguy

10/22/2019

High property tax bills suppress Illinois housing demand, slowing average growth in home values when compared to the rest of the nation.

TAGS: home values, JB Pritzker, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, property taxes, taxes

property taxes

Indiana is building far more single-family homes than Illinois

Feds investigating former Cook County assessor, Madigan rainmaker Joe Berrios

‘Home Alone’ with a $35K property tax bill

A decade after recession, Illinois’ construction industry is ice cold

Chicago’s 2020 budget proposal was never truly balanced

Lightfoot asks Springfield for progressive ‘exit tax’ on Chicago property sales

California’s ‘fair tax’ hike spurred taxpayer exodus, hurt middle class and went mostly to pensions

Kentucky billboards advertise Illinois’ woes to lure businesses

Lightfoot can’t fix Chicago’s finances without pension reform

Illinois’ housing recovery still trails rest of nation

4 ways to break out of Illinois’ pension trap

Report Archive

Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students