One change in federal tax code – and Illinois lawmakers’ response to it – could decide the economic trajectory of the state.

Cities and villages across the state are raising taxes or implementing new ones for a variety of functions, from attracting a fast-food restaurant to catching up on rising pension costs.

The average salary for Cook County workers has far outpaced that of the typical Cook County household since 2001, and that’s contributed to the county’s fiscal ills.

Consolidating governments in the collar counties could help lower residents’ high property taxes.

Lucrative compensation for government workers stands in stark contrast to the city’s budgetary struggles and a flagging local economy.

After a tax hike spree from Chicago-area politicians, residents are stuck paying more only to carry an ever-larger load of debt.

The new taxes are planned to pay for road maintenance and improvement as well as general use. As is the case in communities throughout Illinois, pension costs are crowding out other spending in Oswego.

A new property tax hike worth as much as $148 million is set to hit Chicagoans as part of the latest school funding proposal. That’s on top of the record-breaking property tax hikes Mayor Rahm Emanuel approved in 2015 and a litany of other city and county taxes and fees.