Illinois has a chance to fix its state finances, thanks to federal relief. But unless pension growth is brought under control, both retirees and taxpayers will be at risk as debt continues to consume state services.
Even after a 32 percent income tax hike, the Illinois General Assembly passed a state budget in 2017 that will generate an estimated $1.5 billion deficit in fiscal year 2018. That deficit is projected to grow to $2.15 billion in fiscal year 2019, according to the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget, or GOMB. The...
by Wesley Fox Many property taxpayers in Cook County are confused and angry by their property tax bills. While property value assessments are supposedly declining, tax bills are increasing leaving many asking, “Why?” According to one columnist at the Southern Star: I have been writing about the property tax for more than two decades now and still...
A new Illinois Policy Institute analysis finds that adults with no spouse and living with children are most likely to live below the poverty line. Education matters just as much.